Spotted Tales
by Angel wolf11021
Summary: The life of a Zoan user was never an easy one especially outside of the Grandline, but if you add in a man known as the Surgeon of Death...Yeah life just got a lot more interesting for one Snow D. Ariun
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Damn it!" I heard someone curse.

Laughter exploded from one side of the room, I turned my head and saw a group of men playing cards. I snorted and returned my attention to the book in front of me. It seemed that the regular friday night crowd had decided to come to the bar in hopes of drinking the chill from their bones. I looked up when I heard the door open and found a group of men in white boiler suits enter. They looked around for a few moments before going to the booth closeby. I noted that there were eight in all and all of them wore hats. An interesting group, but not interesting enough to hold my attention. I turned my gaze back to my book as a waitress walked over to the group. I almost jumped out of my skin when a hand settled on my head and a warm voice asked, "Reading again?"

I lifted my hand up and removed the one on my head as I said, "Kuro keep your hands off me."

"Don't be like that," I looked up at him as he pouted down at me with slightly narrowed green eyes, "You don't even say hello,"

"Hello Kuro," I drawled with slight monotone, "Leave me alone,"

He rolled his eyes and sat down across from me, "C'mon Storm don't be like that!"

I rolled my eyes and picked up my book again as the door opened, "Kuro what do you want?"

"I want your help," He said causing me to sigh.

"I am not going to take out another group of people you've ripped off," I turned to another page, "It's your own problem,"

"I didn't rip anyone off this time!" He near shouted causing me to look at him with a raised eyebrow over my book.

"Oh really?" I didn't both trying to keep the disbelief from my tone.

"I didn't rip off anyone," He glared at me, "Why do you always assume that I do?"

"Because that's all you do," I deadpan before sighing and marking my page, "What did you do this time?"

He beamed at me as I placed my book on the table, "Okay so I was walking on one of the walkways in the Bakers district-"

"Which you've been banned from doing after getting caught stealing cookies," I reminded him with a sigh.

"Anyway!" He blushed darkly causing the freckles on his face to stand out, "I was walking one of the walkways when I came across something interesting,"

"Something interesting?" He nodded and I shook my head, "Kuro if you just wanted me to listen to another one of your crackpot theories, I'm not going to let you drag me into i-"

"Let me finish!" He cut me off as he slammed his palm into the smooth wood of the table, "I saw something-"

"The lad probably saw his own shadow!" Someone shouted causing laughter to roar through the room.

"No I didn't!" Kuro denied with anger in his voice making my eyes narrow, "I swear I saw something!"

I grabbed Kuro by the front of his jacket and dragged him back down to the table. He let out a yelp and glared at me while opening his mouth. I covered his mouth before he could speak and leaned forward. His eyes widened as I got closer causing me to roll my eyes. I asked softly, "Kuro what did you see?

I knew that asking questions might just lead to a night in the local jail again, but for some reason Kuro really believed he saw something. While normally I wouldn't put any stock into the idiots babbling, he looked really serious. I uncovered his mouth and he murmured, "I saw paw prints. Giant paw prints."

"What type of animal?" I asked.

"Cat," He replied and immediately caused me to frown.

"Cat?" I repeated.

"Yeah giant cat paw prints," He nodded to himself and I released him.

With a sigh, I took a drink from my glass and contemplated what to do as I asked, "Why do you need my help?"

"I want to see what those paw prints belong to," I closed my eyes and counted to ten, "If it's a giant cat, I want to know what it's doing here,"

I waited for him to continue only to get silence from him. I opened my eyes and found him staring at me with wide, pleading eye prompting me to ask, "What exactly are you expecting me to do?"

"Talk to it duh," My eyebrow twitched at that, "You're a cat, so you can-"

"I can turn into a cat not understand them," I deadpan with a slight growl.

"Oh," He looked at the table for a moment before brightening, "If the cats male, you can lure it away! A giant cat has no place in a city-"

I grab him by the front of his jacket and slam his head into the table. I held it there as he squeaked and struggled. I placed my free hand on his head as I removed my hand from his jacket. My hand on his head slowly grew larger and changed into the paw of a snow leopard. He stopped struggling the instant he saw me extend my claws. I spoke softly as I stared down at his shocked green eyes, "Kuro you do not say things like that about me. I maybe able to turn into a cat, but I am not actually a fucking cat. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes!" He squeaked and I withdrew my paw as it changed back into a hand.

"Good boy," I grabbed my book, "Oh and pay for my tab will ya?"

"S-sure," I turned and began to walk out of the bar.

I paused by the door when I felt eyes on my back. I turned my head slightly and found my eyes locked with a pair of cloud grey eyes. My heart began to beat a little bit faster at the sight of those eyes and the darkness inside of them. My gaze was torn from those eyes as the door opened. I shook my head lightly and left the bar behind as I slipped through the open door with a muttered, "Thanks."

I felt my lips twitch as I walked down the pathway leading from the bar and couldn't help it when I started to smile. It would seem that someone interesting had decided to land on the island. Such interesting eyes.

 **End.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Hold still," The needle in my hand buzzed as I continued my work, "Do you want to end up with something crappy?"

The man groaned and buried his face into the faded blue fabric of the chair, "Fuck why does it hurt so much?"

I snorted softly, "It's a tattoo. It hurts to get one done," I wiped away the blood that was brought up before resuming my work, "The tattoo is also intricate, so it's going to hurt."

"How much longer?" The man whined.

"Only a bit more," I answered and paused to observe my work, "I only need to get the tip of the tail scaled and colored,"

"That's great," He groaned softly as I continued my work, "Why did I decide to get a dragon done?"

"You wanted to get the ladies attention and went with a traditional dragon," I said dryly, "You also refused to take pain killers,"

With that said, I paused to gather more ink before continuing the last of the scales on the dragon. When I finished, I moved and admired my work. I nodded to myself as the red scales of the dragon practically gleamed in the light. The guy looked at me and asked, "Is it done?"

"Yup," I gestured to the mirror at the back of the room, "Check it out,"

He stood up with a small wince and moved over to the mirror. He turned his arm this way and that before grinning wildly, "Damn that looks fucking realistic!"

I smirked as I moved about the room putting my things away, "Talk to the guys in the front about payment, tattoo care, and the rest."

"Thanks Storm!" The man rushed out of the room and I rolled my eyes.

* * *

I leafed through my sketchbook as I walked across one of the metal walkways only to pause when I heard a commotion below. Looking down, my eyes widened before narrowing. A group of thugs were surrounding a polar bear wearing an orange boiler suit. I put my sketchbook into my bag as I listened to their conversation. One of the thugs said, "Lookie here boys! A fucking beast walking alone."

"What should we do Maxie?" One thug asked while eyeing the polar bear.

"We can probably kill it and sell the fur for a good price," Another suggested causing the group to laugh, "After all, a dirty animal has no place acting like a human,"

"Why not sell it?" Another suggested, "We could probably get a good price for an exotic pet,"

"Or," I said as I jumped down and landed next to the bear, "You idiots could just walk away,"

"Oh look it's another beast," My eyes narrowed and my fingers clench, "Only this one has the balls to walk around in human skin,"

"Why don't you idiots follow my advice and leave?" I asked while tensing my body slightly.

"Oh and what'll you do if we don't listen?" One of them leered at me, "We could get two for the price of one,"

My eyes narrowed further as my fingers went to the dagger at my belt, "I'll stain the snow with your blood."

The thugs in front of me glanced at each other nervously causing me to smirk slightly. The lead one opened his mouth when a commotion sounded from behind. Someone shouted, "Bepo!"

"Shachi!" The bear behind me shouted to my shock, "I'm here!"

"Shit it has friends!" The lead thug cursed, "Let's run!"

The thugs disappeared and I released my dagger. I turned to the polar bear and realized that it's scent was slightly off prompting me to ask, "What are you?"

"I'm a mink. Sorry," He answered/apologized, "Thanks for defending me,"

I shook my head in amusement, "No problem," I heard footsteps rushing towards us, "We 'beasts'," I used air quotes, "Need to stick together in a place like this."

"Bepo are you alright?" I turned my head and found myself staring at two men in white boiler suits that I could swear I've seen before.

One had a blue hat with a red brim and wore a pair of sunglasses. The other had a black cap with a yellow brim, a red pompom on top and the word 'Penguin' written across the front. The mink, Bepo, turned and beamed at the duo as he nodded, "Yeah thanks to her."

He pointed at making the two look at me. The one in the blue hat spoke after a few moments, "Thanks."

I noticed that the two were blushing slightly causing me to smile slightly, "No problem. Like I told your friend, we 'beasts' need to stick together."

"Beasts?" The blue hatted one asked only for the other one to gasp.

"You're that lady from last night!" He pointed at me.

Ah the group of men in boiler suits from last night that's where I saw them. The one in the blue hat nodded with a look of comprehension on his face, "Oh yeah! You're the one that shoved a guy's face into the table."

"That's me," I smirked slightly, "You guys were a part of the group of men in white boiler suits right?"

"Yup our crew," The blue hatted one said proudly making me blink.

"Crew?" Both men paused and looked at me in slight surprise.

"We're pirates," The mink answered my question, "Didn't you know that?"

"Nah I have more to worry about then paying attention to pirate crews," I shook my head while they looked at me in surprise, "So what're you guys doing here anyway?"

The three looked at each other before the one in the blue hat answered me, "We're about to head to lunch."

"Ah," I smiled at them, "Well I shouldn't keep you,"

"Wanna come with?" One of them asked to my surprise.

"You want me to come with you for lunch?" I gave them a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because you helped Bepo," The 'Penguin' hatted one answered.

"And you're a pretty girl, so who wouldn't," I giggled upon hearing that.

I was about to speak when my stomach growled. The mink grinned at me, "You're hungry too, so come with us!"

"Sure I could use a bite," I agreed with a small laugh, "Anywhere you guys wanna go?"

"We don't really know any good places since we just got here yesterday," I hummed softly.

"Ah that would be a problem," I started to walk over to the metal ladder attached to the side of one of the buildings, "Follow me. I know one of the best places for food that's easy on the wallet,"

"Cool!" The three cheered and followed after me.

Once we got onto the walkway, I led the way and pointed out certain buildings of interest for the trio. The blue hatted one asked a question that made me smile, "So what's with all the metal walkways?"

"When it snows here, we get so much snow that wading through it is impossible," I answered as we walked over a large bridge, "Because of that, the people of the city built these walkways to allow travel over the snow,"

"Won't they get covered in the stuff?" The 'Penguin' hatted one asked.

"Nope because there are pipes built into the metal that have hot water rushing through them," The three looked at the walkway under us in surprise.

"Whoa," The blue hatted one breathed.

"Yup they're the pride and joy of the island," I continued walking, "See the poles connected to the walkways?" They nodded when I turned my head towards them, "They're the things that control the flow of the water. If there isn't any need for the walkways to be heated, they keep the water from flowing into them,"

"Do they have sensors in them?" The 'Penguin' hatted one asked prompting me to nod, "Cool!"

"Yup," I paused as we reached the area where the restaurant was, "We're in the restaurant district, so we should get off now,"

We got onto the ground easily though the three were surprised to see me jump off the walkway without any hesitation. Bepo asked me, "Why do you jump off?"

I hummed in thought as I led them towards the restaurant, "Instinct I guess."

"Hey you said 'beasts' earlier, what did you mean by that?" The 'Penguin' hatted one asked.

I opened my mouth to speak when Bepo added, "One of those people said, 'Only this one has the balls to walk around in human skin'."

I sighed softly, "It's complicated and not something I wanna talk about with people I don't know."

"Oh," The three looked down upon hearing that.

"So what are your names?" I asked making them look at me in surprise, "I only know the mink's name since you've said it, but not you two,"

"I'm Shachi," the one in the blue hat answered.

"The names Penguin," The one in the 'Penguin' hat answered, "What about you?"

"My name is Ariun," I answered with a slight smile, "Though most people call me Storm,"

"Why Ariun sounds like a pretty name?" Shachi asked making me shrug.

"Dunno," I opened the door to the restaurant, "Here we are,"

"Ah Storm welcome back!" A large bear like man grinned at me from the counter, "And you've brought friends!"

"Hey Cain," I greeted the man as I walked over to the bar stools, "Anything good on the menu today?"

"Gretta's trying out a new stew," He answered with a laugh, "Wanna try it?"

"Sure," I turned my head to the trio that was following me, "Take a seat guys,"

They seemed to shake off their shock and sat down next to me on the bar stools. The bear-like man grinned at them, "So what do ya guys want?"

"Uh what do you guys have exactly?" Shachi asked while Penguin and Bepo eyed the man nervously.

Cain opened his mouth and I spoke up, "They just arrived yesterday."

"Ah," He grinned at them, "Well we sell hearty soups and sandwiches,"

"What do you suggest?" Penguin asked while looking at me.

"Everything's good," I smiled while the trio looked at me with raised eyebrows, "Trust me when I say that this place is really good for both you and your budget,"

Cain let out a laugh and patted my head lightly, "Trust Storm on that since she's always coming here for meals."

"Really?" The three looked at me in surprise making me nod.

"Yup ever since she was a kitten!" A boisterous woman said from the double doors.

"Kitten?" I heard one of them mumble.

I ignored that while offering the small woman a grin, "Hey Gretta I heard you were trying out a new stew. Get me a bowl of it?"

"Sure thing Kitten," She turned to the guys beside me, "What are you guys having?"

"Do you have fish?" Bepo asked causing Gretta to laugh.

"Do I ever," She grinned at him, "Want some salmon stew?"

"Sure," The bear nodded while I pouted at Gretta.

Her grin widened at the look on my face, "You said you were out!"

"This morning I was Kitten," My eyes narrow at her, "Don't worry my newest concoction has fish in it,"

* * *

After a rather filling lunch, the trio followed me out of the restaurant while patting their stomachs. I grinned at them, "Did I tell ya or did I tell ya?"

"That was really good and didn't even cost us that much," Penguin sighed softly with a grin.

"Yup that place was awesome!" Shachi practically shouted.

We all looked at Bepo as he nodded, "We should bring Captain here."

I blinked slightly before remembering that they were pirates. I looked at the sky and cursed softly, "Damn it."

"What's wrong?" Shachi asked while the other two looked at me in slight worry.

"I've gotta get back to the shop or my boss'll kill me," I groaned at the thought.

"Shop?" The three asked at once.

"I work in a tattoo parlor," I answered with a small groan, "I shoulda been back by now,"

"Damn sorry," All three looked at me apologetically.

I waved them off, "Eh it's fine. The boss won't mind if I'm a little late."

"Ya sure?" Penguin asked causing me to nod.

"Sure," I then grin, "Plus even if he does get mad, it was totally worth it since I got to eat with a really cute polar bear!"

Bepo blushed while the other two groaned, "Sorry."

"So weak!" The two shout.

"Sorry," I shook my head and wrapped my arms around the mink's shoulders.

"Thanks for the awesome lunch," I kissed his cheek before doing the same to the other two, "You guys should be a little bit more careful since what happened to Bepo isn't likely to be a one time thing on this island," I released them and headed towards the metal ladder, "See ya later and stay safe!"

"Bye!" They shouted as I began to scale the ladder with ease.

I waved at them from the top and shot down the walkway.

 **End of chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I rubbed at my arm with a sigh as I opened the door to the bar. I heard the sound die down slightly before picking up. I walked over to my regular seat and plopped down. One of the waitresses walked over with a slight frown on her face, "What can I get for you Storm?"

"Something heavy," I answered causing her to grimace.

"Bad day?" She asked while writing down my order causing me to grimace, "Oh,"

She headed over to the bar to give my order to the current bartender. I rubbed at my arm again as the door opened and chattering men entered. The waitress set my drink on the table just as I heard, "Oi! Ariun!"

I turned my head and smiled slightly upon seeing that it was Shachi, "Hey Shachi."

His crewmates stared between the blue hatted man and I as he walked over to me. Penguin followed after him as both grinned at me. The grins faltered upon seeing my ruffled appearance and Penguin asked, "You alright?"

"I'm fine," I took a small sip of my drink and sighed as it burned my throat on the way down, "How are you two?"

"We're fine," Shachi answered as the door opened again.

"Where's Bepo?" I asked since the mink hadn't been among the group I had seen.

"He's with Captain," Penguin answered causing me to hum.

"Ah that would explain it," I nodded my head lightly.

Shachi and Penguin sat down at my table as I heard, "Hey Ariun."

I turned my head and smiled at the polar bear mink that said that, "Hey Bepo how are you?"

"I'm fine," he beamed down at me as he walked over.

"No trouble with anymore thugs right?" I asked and he nodded.

"Nope! I was extra careful," I grinned up at him as he bent down and hugged me.

I rubbed between his ears and said, "Good. I'd hate to see such a cutie get hurt."

He blushed at the praise while Shachi and Penguin groaned, "Why the hell does he always get the girls attention?"

"He's cute," I answered with a grin, "You two aren't,"

They glared at me just as a smooth voice spoke, "You are the one that helped Bepo earlier, correct?"

"Yup," I turned and found my gaze locked once more with cloud grey, "You must be their captain,"

The man those eyes were attached to nodded and smirked down at me. My gaze drifted over his body without shame and I had to admit he was good looking. He has dark hair, a majority of which is obscured, save for his sideburns and small goatee by an odd hat. The hat is white and has spots on the bottom and along the rim. He had tanned skin and wiry muscles though much of it was blocked from view by his clothes. He wore a black-sleeved and hooded yellow hoodie with what I guess was his jolly roger out on the front of his chest and the sleeves rolled up. He wore a pair of jeans with odd markings on both the knee and ankle areas, similar to the ones on his hat, but darker in color, and a pair of dark, pointed shoes. He has a pair of small earrings on each ear. My eyes were drawn to the tattoo's visible on his arms and hands. They were tribal in nature and very well done. The letters on his fingers however were crappy and spelled the word DEATH making me wonder why he would want tattoo's like that. I ignored the tattoo's for the moment and looked at his eyes again. The cloud grey was very striking and only drew more attention because of the dark bags under the man's eyes. All in all, he was hot. He smirked at me and asked, "Like what you see?"

"Yes," I answered with a smirk of my own, "But those tattoo's on your hands suck,"

I heard gasps, but ignore them as the man gave me a raised eyebrow, "Oh? What gives you the right to say that?"

"I'm a tattoo artist," I explain while eyeing the letters with disdain, "Whoever did them really needs to have their eyes checked," I then looked up at him, "I can fix them if you want,"

The area around us was silent as I waited for him to speak. It took a few moments before he chuckled and shook his head, "I'd rather not. I rather like them the way they are."

I hummed softly and look at them a bit closer, "They're old so you must've had them for awhile, so I guess you must've grown attached."

"True," He seemed amused, "My name is Trafalgar Law. What's yours?"

"Ariun," I answered with a grin, "Snow D. Ariun though most call me around here call me Storm," I held up a hand as he opened his mouth to speak, "I don't know why and no one's bothered to tell me, so I just go with it,"

He chuckled and sat down at the table, "I have to say you are not what I expected."

"Oh?" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow as I took a deep swig of my drink, "What were you expecting?"

"Someone like the woman from last night," He answered making me snort.

"I'm not usually like that," I set my cup down, "I'm usually more relaxed, but yesterday wasn't a good day and Kuro was asking for it,"

"Kuro?" Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "The man you were with?"

"Yup he's one of the local idiots," I leaned back in my seat, "He and I are friends,"

Shachi spoke up, "What'd he do to deserve having his head slammed into the table?"

"He annoyed me on a bad day," I answered with a small shrug, "He usually doesn't stop annoying me unless I either do what he wants me to or do what I did last night,"

"How long have you been friends?" Penguin asked.

I hummed as I thought about it, "We've been friends for years. I can't really remember not having the idiot around."

"Where is he?" Shachi asked making me shrug.

"Eh don't know," I pick up my glass, "Idiot usually shows up to get himself drunk or drag me around," I took a sip, "He should be here soon enough," I set my drink down, "I do have a suggestion when it comes to him; If he's selling something, do not buy it,"

"Why?" Bepo asked making me snort.

"He's a con," I answered without hesitation, "He'll rip you off unless he likes you, so don't buy anything,"

"Shouldn't you be defending him?" Law asked prompting me to chuckle.

"Idiots landed us both in the local jail more times than I care to count because he can't stop being an idiot," I ran a hand through my hair as I heard the door open, "Why defend him? We maybe friends, but I'd rather not spend a night in the local jai-"

"STORM! WHAT THE HELL?!" I turned my head to look at Kuro as he walked towards me.

"Kuro what-" He cut me off as he slammed his palm into the table.

"WHY THE HELL DID MAKI JUST TELL ME THAT DANY FIRED YOU?!" I winced as the bar immediatly fell silent and all eyes focused on us.

I groaned softly and mentally promised to kick Maki's ass for telling Kuro that, "Because he did."

Kuro glared down at me, "Why the hell did he do that?"

I sighed softly and massaged my ears only to wince as my left arm brushed the table, "Oh I don't know. I was late, he yelled at me, I yelled back-"

"He hurt you," Kuro grabbed my left arm causing me to hiss sharply, "Shit,"

I pulled my arm away from him as he released it. He looked at his hands as if they had just been attached to him while I lightly rub at my arm to ease the pain, "It's just a few bruises. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

Kuro groaned softly, "Damn it. Now what're you going to do?"

"I dunno, but I do know that I'm kinda glad I don't have to work for him anymore," I smirked up at him, "He was a racist bastard anyway,"

Kuro's eyes flashed upon hearing that, "Seriously?"

"Yup," He tugged at his braided brown hair, "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out,"

"You got fired because of us?" Shachi asked bringing my attention back to him.

I shook my head, "Nah Dany was looking for reasons to fire me. The only reason he hadn't was because I was really good at my job and clients kept flooding in," I ran a hand through my hair, "He was a right bastard and always made sure to pay me less than the others cause he hated me."

"Why hire you if he hated you?" Law asked making me smile sadly.

"He didn't hire me," My voice became soft, "The old man that used to own the place did. I've worked there since I turned 14,"

"A 14 year old working?" The group seemed surprised.

"Had to or else I wouldn't have survived," I shook my head with a small sigh before turning to Kuro with a grin, "Wanna celebrate?"

"You got fired and now you wanna celebrate?" Kuro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure!" I chirped, "I'm not working for that bastard anymore, I've got plenty of money saved up, and I can probably find some other job,"

"True," Kuro shook his head with a smile, "Fine. I'll even pay,"

"Great!" I cheered at the thought of free alcohol then noticed the looks of confusion on my table mates faces, "I'm look on the bright side of a crappy situation. It's something I've learned to do over the years,"

I downed the rest of my drink and Kuro went to order more. I leaned back in my chair with a slight smile on my face. Shachi seemed to snap out of the collective shock I put those at my table into, "So Ariun what are you going to do now?"

"I dunno," I shrugged lightly, "I don't really care anyway,"

"Why not?" Penguin asked with a slight frown.

"Life on this island has always been difficult," I answered as I watched Kuro get some drinks form the Bartender, "When you're me, it's even more difficult," I turned my head to look at Penguin, "Remember the thugs?"

"Yeah what about them?" Penguin asked while Bepo gained a look of comprehension on his face.

"They called you a beast," Bepo looked at me with curiosity, "Why'd they do that?"

"People will hate what they do not understand," I smiled sadly, "People like me will always be hated because some people do not understand how we can do what we can do,"

"What can you do?" Law asked prompting me to look at him.

"A lot of things," I answered noncommittally as Kuro returned and handed me a glass, "Thanks Kuro,"

"No problem Storm," He looked at my tablemates, "So who are you guys?"

* * *

Throughout the night, Kuro distracted anyone from asking about me. Because of him, I managed to avoid all question about why people hated me. I could tell that Law wasn't pleased about it, but couldn't care less. I hadn't know the guy for more than 10 minutes after we first met. I didn't know much about him now after three hours, so I wasn't going to be answering those questions. I yawned softly as I watched Kuro make a fool of himself as he flirted with the waitresses. With a shake of my head, I stood up bringing the attention of my tablemates to me, "While this has been fun, I should be heading back home."

"Now?" Kuro squinted at me, "But we jush got here!"

Again, I wondered how I got to be friends with this idiot. I turned to the guys at my table and smiled, "Sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I've got an early day tomorrow."

"Why?" Bepo asked with confusion on his face.

"I've got to get some shopping done and see if I can find a new job," I grabbed Kuro and reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, "Besides, I've got to get this idiot home before he passes out," I walked over to the bartender and payed once he told me the amount of money I owed, "Kuro c'mon we gotta get going,"

"I don'" He hiccupped, "Wanna,"

"Kuro if you come with me, I'll make you some brownies," He beamed at me as I grabbed his arm and began to tug him out of the bar.

"Brownies!" He practically shouted.

"Bye guys," I waved at the group.

"Bye Brownies!" Kuro shouted making me chuckle softly.

* * *

After dropping Kuro off at his apartment, I began to make my way to my own. As I was passing one of the larger alleyways near the docks, I was grabbed by my shoulder and pulled. I was shoved into a wall and held there by a pair of thugs while a man in a pinstriped suit smirked at me. My eyes immediatly narrowed and I hissed, "Diablo."

"Storm," The man's voice was filled with slime and hate, "You messed with my men today,"

"They were going to attack someone," I replied while looking for ways out of the situation, "I merely helped that person out,"

He shook his head, "You cut into my business-"

"Diablo let's stop procrastinating," I cut him off as I noticed that both sides of the alley were being guarded, "We both know that you're going to try to either A: kill me or B: knock me out," I rolled my eyes at both, "So let's just skip the talk and get down to the nitty gritty. I'd rather not be pressed against the side of a dirty building longer than I have to be,"

He snorted and eyed me in a way that made my skin crawl, "I'm here to offer you a job-"

"One that I'm going to refuse," I immediatly cut him off, "I won't work for a slimy bastard like you, so just go fuck off,"

"Release her," I eyed the man warily while immediatly sensing something off, "It's a shame you won't work for me,"

"A real shame," I mock while tensing and extending my claws, "Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be going,"

I heard a series of clicks and found all of the thugs pointing guns at me. I felt like cursing up a storm as Diablo chuckled, "Sorry, but I can't let you leave. You've been a thorn in my side for a long time. My boss isn't very happy with my output and wants me to get rid of the problem," He smirked as his eyes roved over my body, "It's a shame that I've got to kill you, but it's business darling. I hope you understand."

My heart beat faster and faster as I realized that he was going to try to kill me. I had to get out of here and fast!

 **End of chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Bepo stiffened and turned his head sharply as they were making their way back to the sub. Shachi bumped into the bear and cursed as he moved back rubbing his nose, "Shit Bepo what the he-"

"I smell blood," The bear cut him off causing the crew to immediatly frown, "Lots of blood and gunpowder,"

"A fight?" Someone asked softly.

"Who would be fighting in a place like this?" Another asked, "There aren't any marines on this island and there's only one other pirate crew,"

Bepo's frown deepened and he began to move forward without a thought. The crew cursed and followed the bear while Law wondered what could make the bear act like this. The bear soon stopped in front of an alleyway and was kneeling down. Gasps rang through the air as they saw the form laying in the snow and Shachi breathed, "Ariun."

"Move," Law ordered causing the crew to part.

Bepo looked up once Law had reached him and murmured, "She's still breathing Captain, but she's hurt."

Law looked down at the girl and frowned upon seeing the blood pooling around her, "Pick her up and bring her to the sub."

The bear did as he asked while someone asked, "Captain why help her?"

"She helped Bepo," Law replied while frowning at having his actions questioned, "Search the area and find out if there's anyone nearby,"

"Aye Captain!" They chorused and shot off to do their job.

Law left the scene as he followed after his first mate and head navigator. Maybe now he would get the answers to his questions from the odd woman.

* * *

Bepo had set the woman on his operating table and already started to get out the items he would need. Law washed his hands and pulled on a pair of gloves before he began to take in the woman's injuries. The white jacket she had been wearing at the bar had three holes through the front and was being stained with the woman's blood. With Bepo's help, he removed the jacket and found that the woman was wearing a muted grey long sleeve which would have to be removed. Once the shirt was removed, he saw the extent of the damage. One gunshot had clipped the left shoulder, one gunshot just under the left lung, and one gunshot clipping the right shoulder on the arm. He turned the woman onto her side and found one more gunshot wounds on the right side of her back. He also saw a few stab wounds. All in all, the woman was lucky that they had found her when they did.

* * *

Once he finished his work on the woman, he washed his hands as Bepo covered her with a blanket. Bepo spoke up for the first time since they had found the woman, "Captain will she be alright?"

"Yes though it won't be until tomorrow that she wakes up," Law answered and turned to the bear.

"Good," The bear smiled down at the woman, "I'm glad she'll be alright,"

"Tell Shachi and Penguin," He ordered causing the bear to smile brightly, "They will most likely be worried over her,"

"Aye Aye Captain!" The bear raced out of the room.

Law chuckled and shook his head in slight amusement at the actions of his crew before turning his attention to the woman on his operating table. She was an odd one that was for sure. Now that she was laying down, her white and black spotted hair laid slightly flat with a few areas sticking up like spikes. Her skin was slowly regaining a bit of color. Now that he wasn't focusing on her wounds, he realized that she didn't have ears. Frowning, he walked over to her to figure out why when he caught a flicker of moved on top of her head. He moved her hair aside slightly while absent mindedly noticing that it was soft and found his lips twitching into a slight smile. Twitching every few moments, a pair of snow leopard ears sat on top of her head. Curious, he reached out and lightly touched the ear. The fur was very soft against the skin of his hand and the ear he was touching stilled. He looked down at the woman on his operating table and wondered if she had a tail to match her ears. Just as he was about to try and see, a knock sounded on the door. Moving his hands away from the woman, he called out, "Yes?"

"Captain we found the bodies of five people in the alley and trails of blood heading off into various areas of the city," The voice of one of his mechanics came from behind the door, "What do you want us to do?"

He thought about it as he walked over to the door and opened it to see that the man was pale, "What's wrong?"

"The bodies of the five people looked like some giant cat had decided to make them a chew toy," The news made him want to look at the woman on his operating table.

Instead of doing that, he gave his next order, "Anything else?"

"The walls of the alley had various bullet holes and blood spray," The man answered, "It looked like a firing squad gone wrong,"

"A firing squad?" The thought only made him more curious about the woman on his operating table.

"Yeah," The man's skin regained some color the longer he talked, "It reminds me of the time I was a marine,"

"I see," He frowned slightly, "Anything else?"

"One of the bodies," The man answered, "It looked like someone used the guy as a meat shield with how bad he was savaged," The man frowned slightly, "Other than that, we haven't found much else,"

"Has anyone followed the blood trails?" Law asked making the man shake his head.

"Not after they left the area," The man answered, "We were unsure as to what you wanted us to do," The man paused, "Do you want us to captain?"

"No the navigation team has told me that it's going to start snowing soon," Law filed the information he had been given into the back of his mind for later, "Tell the others that I want them to return to the sub,"

"Aye Captain," The man began to move only to pause, "Captain are we going to be doing anything about this?"

"I do not know," The man nodded upon hearing that, "Go,"

"Aye Captain," The man left and Law turned his attention to the woman on his operating table.

"You are going to make things interesting aren't you?" The only answer was silence.

* * *

Law was writing down a few notes about his newest patient's progress when he heard her cry out, "Ah!"

"Lay back down or you'll undo all of my work," He told her as he stood from his desk.

The woman froze before her head whipped towards him. Her eyes locked with his and now he could see that they were two diffrent colors. One was a dark amethyst and the other was a bright emerald green. He started to move towards her as she spoke, "You're that captain from last night, Trafalgar Law."

"Correct Ms. Snow," He replied and watched her eyes darken, "Lay back down or you'll undo the work I've put into keeping you alive,"

"Do not call me Ms. Snow," Her voice contained a growl.

"Do not order me around," He glared at her for the order.

She glared at him back for a few moments before nodding to his surprise, "I apologise for ordering you around Mr. Trafalgar."

He was caught off guard by the apology, but didn't allow it to show as he gave her a curt nod. He spoke as he noticed that she had not laid down again, "Ms. Sno-" The woman glared at him harshly, "Ms. Ariun," Her glare lessened, "Please lay back down. Sitting up like that will cause some of the stitches I had to give you to come loose."

Frowning, she seemed to notice her situation and began to blush. He felt amusement bubble up at the sight of her blush and opened his mouth to continue when she asked, "Who the hell undressed me?"

"In order to get to your wounds, I had to remove your jacket and top," Her eyes seemed to flash bright gold for a moment.

Her eyes closed before she sighed deeply only to wince, "Crap this is going to suck."

"Lay back down," He ordered her and this time she complied, "Ms. Ariun are you aware that you were very close to death last night?"

She nodded and, to his surprise, smiled a melancholy smile, "When I passed out, I was sure that I wouldn't be waking up," Her eyes went to him, "It seems I owe you Mr. Trafalgar."

"Law," He corrected on a whim, "Call me Law and consider this repayment for saving Bepo,"

She actually snorted, "Law I do not need repayment for saving the cutie. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo already did so by treating me to lunch."

"So you will allow yourself to fall into debt with a pirate?" He asked with amusement and she seemed to pause.

He was expecting her to say that she was joking or reconsidered it only for her to shake her head. Her lips curled into a slight smirk as she said, "Sure why not. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last."

"You've been in debt with pirates before?" He asked before he could stop himself.

Her eyes brightened and her smirk turned into a soft smile, "Yeah. Pirates it seems always end up saving my life."

"Who-" He was cut off by a loud racket.

"Let me see her!" Someone yelled.

He began to move over to the door when he heard the smack of skin against skin and turned to see Ariun facepalming. She raised her head as she groaned, "Fucking idiots."

"So you know the one yelling?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Unfortunately," She groaned softly, "I would suggest just letting them see me though," She looked down at the blanket covering her, "I really don't want them to see me like this,"

He chuckled upon hearing this before asking, "Why did you say 'them'?"

"The one yelling is Maki and following him would be Kuro," She rubbed at her face, "They usually aren't far from each other, so they're both out there," She frowned at him, "Anyway I can move around without hurting myself at the moment?"

"Why would you need to move?" He asked while walking towards the end of her bed in the direction of the door.

"The two idiots will most likely run at me in with the intent to check me over," Her voice was dry and filled with exasperation, "It will most likely end with me on the floor somehow with those two over top of me. If that doesn't happen, Kuro will most likely end up trying to pick me up, drop me on my ass like the klutz he is, and Maki will end up yelling at him thus rendering my ears useless," She looked at him with a deadpan expression, "It would be safe for me if I could move out of the way,"

He would have thought she was joking had it not been for how tense she was. Her body was tense as she looked in his direction only for her eyes to glance over towards the door. It reminded him of a cat ready to flee if need be. With that thought in mind, he decided to help her a little, "I can have two of my crew members hold them back to make sure they won't get to you."

He expected her to give him a nod of agreement only for her to snort as amusement filled her eyes, "Your crew members will find themselves on their asses in nine seconds flat."

"How are you so sure?" He asked while hearing something hit the large double doors that made up the entrance to the infirmary.

She looked him in the eyes as she replied with a tone of deep amusement, "The two of them are very effective at disabling people. If the sound just now means anything, one of your crew members will be in need of treatment. Judging from how hard they hit the door, Kuro must have hit them with enough force to crack a few ribs. Maki on the other hand," The hall suddenly fell silent causing Law's eyes to narrow, "Will have caused them to fall unconscious."

"How are you so sure that your friends weren't just disabled by my crew?" He asked honestly curious and slightly furious at how easily the woman assumed his crew was weak.

Ariun's eyes dimmed and her voice grew soft, "Because those two are some of the strongest people on the island. They're part of the reason why there is no marine base on this island."

The door to the infirmary burst open...

 **End of chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **For reasons of my own, I'm changing her age!**

* * *

Start

* * *

The door to the infirmary burst open to reveal Kuro and Maki. I gave the two men an exasperated glare and said, "Guys..."

The two ignored me as they focused on Law. Law was tense and I could see that a fight would probably break out soon. Maki stepped forward causing his long wavy silver hair to float around him, "Who the hell are you?"

"Trafalgar Law," Law answered while glaring at the two, "Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?"

I tensed slightly at the cold tone in Law's voice and felt his hostility towards the idiotic duo. I opened my mouth to speak when Kuro seemed to suddenly realize I was there as Maki began to speak, "We're here to find our frien-"

"STORM!" Kuro shouted causing my ears to ring and he began to rush towards me.

Maki's gaze shifted over to me and his yellow eyes widened before he reached out to grab Kuro by the back of his shirt. Kuro let out a squeak as he was stopped by Maki. He opened his mouth to shout when Maki hissed, "Do not rush at her Kuro. She's injured."

"Oh," Kuro seemed to notice my state, "Damn Storm what happened?"

"Yes Ms. Ariun what happen to you last night?" Law asked bringing my attention to him.

I frowned while Kuro looked at Law with some confusion, "When the hell did you get here?"

I facepalmed while Maki snorted, "Kuro we're on his ship," Maki looked at Law, "Why exactly do you have Storm here?"

"I treated her injuries," Maki blinked before looking at me.

"He did?" I nodded causing Maki to sigh.

"Damn a doctor that's actually hot," I snorted, "So Storm what happened last night?"

Frowning upon hearing the question, I only said, "Diablo."

"Diablo?" Law asked while looks of realization appeared on my friends faces.

"He did this to you?" Kuro demanded with a snarl and I nodded, "I'll kill that fucking bastard-"

"Kuro be quiet," Maki ordered making Kuro go silent before the silver haired man returned his attention to me, "Why did he try to kill you?"

I opened my mouth to speak when there was a shout, "What the hell happened?! CAPTAIN!"

* * *

An hour and a borrowed shirt later, I was sitting in a chair across from Law. My idiotic friends sat next to me while trying not to look at me. I sighed softly and gave the captain of the ship we were on an apologetic look, "I don't suppose an apology will help?"

"No," Law replied while glaring at the two idiots beside me, "It will not,"

I nodded upon hearing that and turned to my friends, "Nice knowing you two."

"Storm!" Both shouted while looking at me with wide eyes.

We all turned our attention to Law when he chuckled. I gave him a raised eyebrow to which he replied, "You continue to surprise me."

Hearing that, I shrug only to wince at the slight pain the action brought. Law glared at me and I smile sheepishly, "Force of habit. I happen to surprise people a lot though what did I do to surprise you?"

I was genuinely curious since I hadn't meant to do it this time. He smirked at me in reply, "The way you act towards your friends for one. You know that I'm most likely going to kill them or something along those lines, yet you act like you don't care."

"It's not that I don't care," I replied with a slight smile, "I just realize that these two harmed your crew and as captain you must take action,"

"You seem to know a lot about pirates," He commented with interest in his voice, "Why is that?"

"Other than stabbing pirates because they pay me to?" I ask causing him to chuckle in amusement, "I was saved by pirates when I was young and I've run into a bunch over the years, so I tend to learn things," I nodded to my friends, "The thing with those two however is common knowledge. You don't fuck with members of a pirate crew unless you're ready to face their captain," My friends paled and looked nervously at Law, "While these two are my friends, I understand that you're going to have to do something in response to their actions," I gave my friends a look, "Both of them knew the risks, I've made sure of that,"

"Yet they came to help you," Law replied making me look at him curiously, "They clearly care for you,"

"That we do," Maki said while smiling at me, "Storm is our friend and we don't like seeing her hurt,"

"How long have you been friends?" Law asked just as there was a knock on the door, "Come in,"

A man in a white boiler suit and chef's hat strolled in with serving tray, "The drinks you requested."

Law gestured to the desk in between us and the man walked over. He set the tray on the desk and looked between us before turning his attention to Law. Law spoke as he took a coffee cup from the desk, "I do not need anything more at the moment."

"Aye Captain," The man left the room without a backwards glance.

"Not very talkative," I commented before looking at the tray, "When did you order drinks?"

Law looked at me in amusement, "Before I left the infirmary."

"Ah," I looked at the drinks, "What are they?"

"Tea, water, and coffee," He replied, "I suggest that you drink water for the moment,"

I nodded at the suggestion, "Seeing as I do not know what type of tea that is, I'll follow that suggestion."

"Not a fan of coffee?" Law asked I grabbed the glass of water.

"I like coffee, but I don't like drinking it black," I replied and took a sip of the water.

My friends carefully grabbed the other two coffee cups on the tray. A moment of silence came over us before Maki asked, "So what happens now?"

"While I really should take care of the issue of you two attacking my crew, I would like to get down to what happened to Ms. Ariun," Law replied with a slight smirk, "Now Ms. Ariun you mention someone called Diablo, who is he?"

"Diablo is the main crime boss on the island," I answered after taking another sip of my water, "He's a piece of work. If it's illegal, he has a hand in it somehow,"

"He has control of the drugs on the island," Maki added while staring into his coffee cup, "He makes getting medicine harder than hell,"

"He has a large base of thugs doing his dirty work," Kuro scowled and looked at me pointedly as he said the next part, "He tries to recruit anyone with any kind of power on the island to keep it in a strangle hold,"

"And he targeted you?" Law concluded as he looked at me.

"Yes," My fingers clenched around the glass, "The bastard has been after me for years, but hasn't been able to grab a hold of me,"

"But that changed last night," I set my glass down on the desk before I crushed it, "Why has he been after you?"

"My devil fruit," I answered while Maki and Kuro looked at me in alarm, "But you've already guessed that since you haven't commented on my ears yet nor my tail,"

"Indeed," Law smirked at me and I smiled in reply, "What is a Zoan user doing so far out of the Grandline?"

I shrugged lightly, "Devil fruits can pop up anywhere even if it's a Zoan fruit. It happens and mine happened to wash up here."

"How long ago did you eat it?" I hummed softly as I thought about it.

"A little over 16 years ago give or take a few," Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow prompting me to say, "I ate it when I was five years old,"

"I see and Diablo knows this?" Law asked making me snort.

"No he only knows that I ate it," I ran a hand through my hair, "The bastard is after me for more than my devil fruit though,"

"Why else would he want you?" Maki and Kuro tensed at the question.

"Storm I don't-" I held up a hand to stop Maki from speaking.

"Guys he saved me, so I owe him," Maki facepalmed while Kuro groaned and I returned my attention to Law, "Can I extract a promise that this will stay between us?"

"So long as it doesn't affect my crew," He said making me sigh.

"Very well," I took a drink from my water before I continued speaking, "When I was younger, I managed to attract the attention of some scientist," I grimaced at the memory, "I don't know why exactly, but he kidnapped. He did experiments on me before being killed by a crew of pirates that were pissed when he kidnapped a few of their crewmembers," Maki placed a hand on my shoulder, "The results of the experiments on me varied, but the one that brought the attention of Diablo was my ability to turn invisible,"

"Invisibility?" Law eyed me in a way that made me shiver.

It was a look that Diablo had often given me, but diffrent. Whereas Diablo wanted to use me, Law looked like he wanted to take me apart and figure out how I worked. I suppressed a shudder and nodded, "Yes though it comes with a price."

"What happens?" Law asked with curiosity burning in his eyes.

"If I use it back to back without a small break in between, I often lose consciousness," I answered with a bit of hesitation, "I also need to eat a lot after using it. It leaves me sluggish if I use it more than twice in an hour,"

"How long can you stay invisible?" He asked making me hum.

"Not too sure," I ran a hand through my hair, "I never really tried to see how long, but if I had to guess, I think it would be an hour,"

"I see," Law suddenly frowned and seemed to be debating something, "Does Diablo work for anyone?"

The question caught me off guard and reminded me of the reason we were talking. I closed my eyes for a few seconds as I tried to think of that. My mind went to the symbol I had seen on some of the cargo that came in on ships. The cargo with that symbol was always picked up by Diablo's men prompting me to say, "I think so."

"You think so?" Law asked.

Maki and Kuro looked at me in confusion. I nodded my head, "I don't know for sure, but I've seen Diablo's men come to the docks to pick up some cargo. The cargo has some kind of symbol on it," I looked at Law hoodie and point at the symbol, "It looks kinda like that symbol, but without those protrusions," Law stiffened as I said that, "It has a line going through it."

"Are you sure it's that symbol?" Law asked and I noticed that his tone had turned cold.

"Yes," I answered without hesitation.

Law was silent for a few moments while Maki and Kuro looked at me with narrowed eyes. I smiled sheepishly at them as Maki said, "You promised that you wouldn't go onto the docks without one of us."

"You both were busy,"

"So what?"

"I wanted to go,"

"You could have fallen in,"

"And?"

"And you could have drowned,"

"So?"

"You could have died?!"

"I almost did last night. Falling into the ocean isn't the worst death imaginable,"

"Y-" Law cut off the impending rant.

"Ms. Ariun I would like to make a deal with you and your friends," All three of us turn our attention to the pirate captain.

 **End of chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Okay so explain to me how we got into this situation?" Kuro asked for what felt like the thousandth time since we left the Hearts Pirates sub.

We were sitting together in the kitchen of my tiny apartment near the docks. I ran my hand through my hair again with a sigh, "You two idiotically thrashed Law's crew in order to get to me after one of you somehow discovered I was there," I paused before eyeing the two, "How did you find out again?"

Kuro looked straight at Maki as the silver haired male took a sip of his green tea. Maki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before putting his cup down. I offered the man a raised eyebrow prompting him to answer my question, "I used my ability to track you."

"Ah," I tapped the side of my coffee mug, "Okay, so after you two idiots did that," Both glared at me with sheepish expressions on their faces, "We ended up in Law's office and chatting about what happened to me," I took a sip of my coffee, "After talking about that, Law decided to give us a deal. He and his crew helps us get rid of the asshole,"

"And we have to join his crew," Maki concluded making Kuro groan.

"But we won't get to enjoy the bastard being gone," Kuro slammed his fist into the table top causing the table to shudder and me to glare at Kuro, "Sorry," He smiled sheepishly before frowning, "Damn that deal sucks,"

"You could be dead," I pointed out.

"True," He shifted in his seat, "So we're going to join his crew,"

"Yup," I leaned back in my chair and winced slightly.

"And we're going to be calm about this?" He continued.

"Seems like it," Maki nodded his head.

"We're so screwed," Kuro deadpanned.

"Yup," I agreed and smirked at the two, "But think of this on the bright side. We get to see the world, have an adventure, and enjoy ourselves to the fullest,"

"True," Maki smirked as his eyes closed, "I'll get to see the monuments of the world, read so many new texts, and maybe discover something new,"

"So we're really doing this?" Kuro asked and got two nods making him grin, "Damn we've gone through a bunch of shit, but this'll top it,"

I raised my glass and said, "Let's do a toast to new lives."

"New lives," The two chorused as they clanked their glasses against mine.

* * *

"So Ariun and those two guys are joining us?" Shachi asked while he followed behind Law.

"Yes Shachi-ya," Law browsed through the medical section, "They're joining the crew,"

"I get why Ariun's joining cause she cool and all," Law rolled his eyes at the mechanics words, "But why those guys?"

Law smirked and turned his head towards the man, "Doubting my choice Shachi-ya?"

Shachi paled and shook his head, "No Captain! Just wondering is all."

"They managed to disable six of our crew," Law answered the original question while satisfied at seeing the ginger haired male so pale, "It would be a shame to not have them on the crew,"

"What will they do though?" Law frowned as he hadn't figured that out just yet.

"We will have to see," Law replied causing the ginger haired male to gap at him.

"Captain..." The man trailed off as he looked at him.

"Yes Shachi-ya?" He gave the man a raised eyebrow.

The man shook his head rapidly, "Nothing captain."

* * *

"Okay, so you have a plan?" I asked the man I was walking beside.

"Yes," Law smirked at me, "You don't need to worry about anything,"

Frowning at that, I opened my mouth to speak when a man in a white boiler suit ran up. He panted softly as he came to a stop before us, "Captain we've divided ourselves between the two entrances. What are your orders?"

"Begin causing a diversion," Law ordered as I looked between the two.

"Aye Captain," The man rushed off and I turned my attention to the male beside me.

"So where do we fit in this whole plan of yours?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We'll go through the second entrance while my men at the first cause a distraction," A reasonable plan, "Will you be able to fight while wounded?"

"Yes," The question threw me off slightly, "I'm surprised you asked,"

"Why?" He looked surprised by my question.

"Only Maki and Kuro really care about me enough to ask questions like that," I replied with a small blush, "It's odd to have another person ask,"

Law paused making me stop and look at him in confusion. He stared at me for a few moments before sighing, "Ms. Ariun you are to be a member of my crew. Because of that, I ask these questions. So long as you are a member of my crew, you will be taken care of," The words were a surprise and warmed my heart, "You are also my patient and I have to keep you from harming yourself too badly."

My lips twitch and I offered the man a smile, "Thank you Law."

He smirked at me and gestured to the building in front of us, "We must be going Ms. Ariun."

"Right," We returned to our walk.

As we drew closer to the building, I could hear the sounds of fighting on the other side of it. My mind went to my two friends and a small amount of worry blossomed in my chest. While they were strong, they could still get hurt. My fingers went to the daggers on my belt out of reflex just as I heard, "Ms. Ariun are you alright?"

"I'm just a little worried for my friends," I murmured while glancing at the other side of the building, "I am not really used to not being next to them while they fight,"

I heard a chuckle and tensed when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head and found Law looking at me. He removed his hand with a slight frown before saying, "My crew will make sure they get out of this alive. Have some faith in them."

I snorted and began to move towards the building again, "Faith in new people always leads to disappointment."

I heard him follow behind me after a few seconds and felt my lips twitch. It seems that I've surprised the man yet again. I shook my head lightly to clear it as we approached a small group of men near the second entrance to the building. It was nothing more than a hole in the wall that had a door attached to it because the owner didn't feel like fixing it. My eyes went from the door to a familiar polar bear making me smile slightly though I frowned upon seeing the nodachi in his arms. Bepo grinned upon seeing us, "Captain, Ariun! You're here."

"Bepo why are you carrying a sword?" The sight was so bizarre that I couldn't stop myself from questioning it.

"Oh this is Kikoku," Bepo said as he lifted it up a little, "She belongs to the Captain. I carry it when he doesn't need it,"

I stared at the bear for a moment before turning to look at Law. He looked at me in amusement and I deadpan, "You abuse his willingness to help don't you?"

"He offers," Law replied making me roll my eyes.

"Right," I turned my attention to the rest of the group.

"Ariun are you sure you should be fighting?" I noticed Shachi as he spoke and saw the katana sitting on his waist.

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly, "Shachi you're a sword fighter?"

"Not really," He scratched the back of his head, "I like using martial arts more,"

I nodded slightly before seeing Penguin and noticing the spear he was carrying, "A spear Penguin?"

"It's useful when I can't use martial arts," He replied making me nod, "Do you have any weapons?"

"Daggers for the most part," I gestured to the ones on my belt, "I have two others, but one is currently out of reach and the other is not something I use in close quarters situations,"

Before anyone else can say something, Law cut in, "Let's get going. We do not have much time."

* * *

I moved beside Law as we headed up another set of stairs. I panted slightly as I muttered, "Damn so many stairs."

Law chuckled in reply, "Don't like stairs?"

"I prefer ladders since there's less of a chance to get hurt falling off," I replied after pausing to take a deep breath, "It's easier to jump off ladders,"

Law paused and eyed me, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," My eyes closed for a moment, "We're most likely going to find Diablo up there,"

I heard the rustle of cloth and opened my eyes to see Law leaning against the wall. He looked up at the top of the steps and asked, "What did you mean by 'One is currently out of reach'?"

I let out a small laugh after a few moments once I realized what he was talking about. I leaned against the wall as I answered, "Diablo almost caught me a few months back. I managed to escape, but my favorite weapon was lost to me. He has it and I want it back."

"It's important to you," Law said and I nodded my head.

"It's one of the only things I have left of my mother," Bitter memories ran through my head, "I need to get it back," My fingers clenched into fists as I looked at Law, "Please help me find it,"

"I will," He agreed with a small frown, "What happened to your mother?"

"She was killed," My voice was bitter and quiet as my jaw clenched, "Let's go,"

I turned towards the top of the stairs and began to ascend once more. Law was right beside me as we reached the top of the steps. I immediatly reached up to cover my nose with a blood stained hand at the smell that permeated the air. Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The air," I grimaced and dropped a hand to my daggers, "It smells like an orgy gone wrong," The look Law gave me almost made me laugh, "The scent of sex, sweat, piss, shit, blood, stale air, death, and corpses permeates the air,"

"How can you smell that?" He asked while eyeing the hallway.

"My nose is sensitive," I gagged slightly as the scent seemed to settle on my tongue, "Fuck this is going to be hard,"

I suddenly found a piece of cloth in front of my face. I stared at it before looking at Law. He held it out to me as he said, "Cover your nose with this."

I looked at him for a few moments before taking the cloth. I tied it over my face and noticed that it smelt nice. I smiled though it was hidden by the cloth, "Thanks what is this?"

"A face mask that I carry around for when Bepo can't handle the scent of certain places," Law explained as he looked at the various doors, "We need to get going,"

I nodded and we began to search through the rooms. I grimaced as I noticed that most of these were bed room and muttered, "This is where Diablo and his favorite subordinates live."

Law nodded as we reached the last room on the floor. I took one of my daggers from my belt as I looked at Law. He gestured to the door and I placed my ear to it. Hearing soft conversation, I nodded to Law and grabbed the door handle. He smirked at me and I threw open the door. Once it was open, I threw my dagger inside and heard two loud gasps and a thump. I walked inside and heard, "How the hell did you survive?"

I smirked at the pale form of Diablo at his desk as I heard Law follow me inside, "Why Diablo, one would think you tried to kill me when you say things like that," I turned my head to look at Law, "Mind taking care of big, ugly, and stupid?"

He chuckled as he moved further into the room, "Not at all."

Smirking, I turned to Diablo as he shouted, "Kill them!"

The hulking form of Diablo's second in command rushed towards me with the intent to kill. I waited until the last minute and moved out of the way. I continued to move forward while giving Law a small bit of trust to watch my back. Diablo's skin paled further with each step I took towards him. I raised my hand and slowly extended my claws as I mused aloud, "So pale already, I think you'll pass out before I can get down to business."

"Y-you idiot! Kill her!" I darted forward and grabbed Diablo by the neck to slam his head into the desk.

I turned my head as I heard a scream and eyed the floating body parts with interest. Law held the detached and screaming head of Diablo's second in command in his hands. My head tilted to the side as I asked, "So this is your devil fruit?"

"Part of it," He replied while bouncing the head upwards with a smirk, "Not going to freak out?"

"Eh it's a devil fruit ability," I shrugged with a small smile, "I'm more fascinated than freaked out," Diablo struggled against my grip, "I really want to see more, but I really should take care of this piece of trash," I turned my head back to the shaking and struggling form of my captive, "Diablo you have something I want,"

"W-what?" He squeaked out causing me to tighten my grip on his neck and place my clawed hand on the side of his face.

He stilled as I leaned down and purred, "Yes. You happen to have something of mine. Give it back and I'll release you."

He shuddered and my nose scrunched up at seeing lust enter his eyes. It made me want to gag. I suppressed a shudder as at the thought as Diablo whimpered, "Second drawer of my desk on the left side!"

I was about to move around the desk when I heard, "Ms. Ariun allow me."

I looked at Law in slight surprise upon hearing those words only to feel the desk move. I almost moved away from it, but stayed still as I wondered what he was doing. The sound of drawers opening drew my attention to the other side of the desk and watching a group of them float past made my eyes widen. I stared at the drawers in slight awe before shaking my head as I heard Diablo gasp, "How?"

"Ms. Ariun what does your weapon look like?" Law asked as the drawers floated over to him.

"It looks like a blue scarf with silver designs on it," I watched him look over the continents of the drawers.

He paused and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "How exactly is that a weapon?"

I smirked at him, "Find it for me and I'll show ya."

He chuckled and returned to looking through the drawers. I grew bored after a few minutes and turned my attention to the disembodied head. I watched it for a few minutes and mused, "I wonder if that hurts?"

"It won't unless I decide to make it hurt," I returned my attention to Law and found him holding up a familiar dark blue cloth.

Grinning, I released Diablo and made my way over to Law. I took the soft fabric into my hands and hummed softly in contentment at feeling the familiar weight of it. I turned back to Diablo with a smile and he immediatly flinched, "Well Diablo it seems that we've come to impasse."

"W-what?!" He nearly shouted, "I-i thought if you got that thing back that you would be leaving!"

I let out a laugh only to wince slightly at the pain the action brought, "Diablo, Diablo, Diablo it seems that you really are stupid," He tensed and opened his mouth to speak, "You actually think I'm going to let you live? Foolish," My smile widened into a grin, "The impasse I'm currently facing is how to kill you. I could slash open your neck and leave you bleeding, I could torture you and listen to your screams, so many options, but only one will do," I turned my head towards Law, "How do you think I should kill him?"

"With the weapon you've just gotten back," He said with a wide smirk and a chuckle, "I am curious as to what it can do,"

My grin widened upon hearing that, "Oh good idea!" I turned to Diablo and gave him a mocking smile, "Diablo it seems that we must part ways," My voice turned mocking as I dropped part of the soft fabric onto the ground, "It's a _shame._ "

"W-we can make a deal!" He shouted only for his plea to fall on deaf ears.

I moved forward slowly and twisted the fabric still in my hands around my left arm. The fabric on the ground trailed lightly across the floor as it followed me. I lifted my arm and swung it back before swinging it forward in a punching motion. The fabric on the ground shot forward and wrapped around Diablo's neck. I smiled cruelly as I purred, "It's a shame that I've got to kill you, but it's business darling. I hope you understand."

With a sharp jerk, a crack echoed through the room and Diablo's head twisted in the wrong direction. I turned to Law as I tugged the scarf lightly causing it to unwind from Diablo's neck, "I hope that didn't disappoint you too much. I can do more with him, but unfortunately we don't have the time nor do I know if Diablo damaged him at all."

Law nodded to me with a smirk, "Show me more once you've made sure it wasn't damaged."

"Sure thing," I looked at the twitching body parts, "So what are you going to do with all this?"

"He'll be dead in a matter of hours if I leave him like this," I hummed softly at the thought, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope," I kicked the disembodied head towards the wall after finding it sitting at my feet, "He was a piece of trash,"

"You have a unique view of the world," Law commented as he continued to look through Diablo's desk drawers which I noticed were still floating around.

"Comes with being hated by most of the people around you," Was my dry reply, "What are you looking for?"

"Documents," I frowned upon hearing that.

I decided not to comment at the moment as I began to wrap my newly returned scarf around my arm. It was as I finished that I noticed that there wasn't any sound coming from downstairs or outside causing me to comment, "Looks like they're done."

"As are we," The drawers hit the floor suddenly, "Let's go,"

I noticed Law slipping a group of files into his hoodie, but didn't comment as I followed him out of the room. As we left the room and floor behind, I began to smile as a sense of relief filled me. I reached up and took the facemask off my face as I said, "Law here."

He turned and took the fabric from me when I held it out to him. He noticed the smile on my face and asked, "Why are you smiling?"

"I just got rid of someone who's been a pain in my ass for years," I replied with as my smile grew into a grin, "I got my weapon back and got to kill that pain in the ass," Law chuckled and continued to walk with me following him, "I can't help it if I'm happy,"

* * *

We were standing outside of the building with everyone and I immediatly took in the injuries on my friends. They weren't bad and something that was easily treatable making me sigh in relief. Everyone was talking and laughing as they recalled what happened during various points of the fighting though it quieted down as Law began to speak, "We've finished what we came here to do. Everyone will return to the sub to receive treatment if they require it," Law turned to Kuro, Maki, and I, "We will be staying here for three more days. Use that time to say your goodbyes and gather what you need. I expect you three to be at the sub by noon when those three days are up."

 **End of chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I eyed the apartment I've lived in for years one last time to see if there was anything I was missing. Satisfied when I couldn't find anything, I closed the last of my bags just as there was a knock on my door. I called out, "It's open!"

The door opened to reveal Maki with Kuro following after him. The large brown haired man was carrying three duffle bags full of their things while the silver haired Maki was carrying a single bag that had odd protrusions. I ignored that bag figuring out what it was after catching the scent of spices in the air. Maki looked at my bare apartment and asked, "Got everything?"

I tapped the two bags at my side, "Yup."

Maki walked over and swung both onto his back. I didn't bother protesting as I walked over to my old couch and grabbed my canvas bag. Kuro spoke as he looked around the apartment, "Damn I can't really believe we're doing this. We're really going to become pirates."

Silence broke out among us as the prospect slid through the air, it was a heavy thought. We were leaving behind our home island and the lives we had to become part of the world's 'problem'. It was as odd as it was heavy come to think of it. Had you asked me a few days ago if I thought this would happen, I would laugh it off while slowly backing away. For years, I've dreamed of living a diffrent life and thought of just hopping onto a boat to leave this place behind, yet I couldn't bring myself to leave. I didn't want to lose one of the few people that cared about me, so I stayed. Now, I looked at the two, I could leave without having to look back. My two friends were coming with me. I grinned and clapped my hands bringing their attention to me, "Come on boys, we need to go! A new life of adventure is waiting for us!"

* * *

Law watched Ariun eye the sub with an unreadable look in her mismatched eyes. It amused had always amused him to see other people do double takes when they first saw the sub and that hadn't changed. Hearing the man with the braided brown hair grumble, "Yellow? Why is it always yellow?"

He wondered the story behind that as Ariun turned to him with a deadpan expression, "At least it ain't fucking pink."

All three shuddered making him wonder what the story was behind that reaction, but he held in the urge to ask as he commented, "Staring while appreciated is time consuming."

The males of the group scowled at him while Ariun snorted in amusement before eyeing the sub once more. The next words out of her mouth caused both men to pale, "Is this as much of a death trap as it looks like?"

He chuckled upon hearing that while the two men next to her seemed to freak out, "I assure you that my sub is safe."

She hummed before nodding, "I'll take your word on it," She grinned at him while the two beside her face plant, "So Captain," The word was odd coming from her, "I can just call you Law right?"

"Why?" He asked feeling both amused and curious.

"I prefer calling people by their first names," She gave him a once over, "Especially if they're hot,"

He chuckled as he debated whether or not to allow it of her before deciding it didn't matter, "Call me what you wish so long as it isn't disrespectful."

She gave a mock salute gaining another chuckle from him before turning to the two men with her, "Well idiots let's get on."

The two grumbled as she walked over to the gangplank and began to walk up. Midway up, she paused and gained an unsure look on her face. Her head turned and she looked back at the island. He watched her and it felt like he was watching a hesitant kitten taking its first steps into the outside world. An odd feeling rose up in his chest at seeing the woman he had come to know seem vulnerable. Without thinking about it, he walked over to the gangplank and held out his hand. Ariun turned her head towards him and stared into his eyes. They held a swarm of emotions in them and an eternity seemed to pass before she took his hand.

* * *

Law's hand was warm and surprisingly soft as he helped me onto the sub. The warm sunlight that broke through the clouds fell around us as I stared at him. He had a soft smile on his face rather than the smirk I was familiar with and warmth shone in his eyes. I noticed that his eyes had a few flecks of blue that became visible from the sunlight and how close I was to him. It felt like an eternity as he opened his mouth and I knew that I would remember this moment for the rest of my life, "Welcome aboard Ariun-ya."

I blinked at the odd ending and asked, "What's with the ya?"

He just smirked at me and turned his attention to my friends, "Kuro-ya, Maki-ya we do not have much time, so hurry up."

Both came up the gangplank with scowls on their faces, I snorted and said, "Guys stop acting like this is the end of the world," I rolled my eyes at the glares they were giving me before turning to Law, "Honestly, they're usually not so grumpy."

Law chuckled in reply as Shachi and Penguin ran from inside the sub. They grinned upon seeing me and shouted, "Hey!"

"Hi boys," I greeted them with a grin, "How have you been?"

"We've been pretty good," Shachi answered as he moved forward, "Ready to be a pirate?"

"Yup," I nodded my head.

"Shachi, Penguin take them to their rooms," Law ordered causing me to look at him, "Ariun-ya you have a room to yourself as we don't currently have any other girls on the ship nor do I want any others," I nodded while feeling somewhat happy and saddened, "Your two male companions will be sharing a room,"

Before either could really comment, I spoke, "That's probably for the best, I doubt they would be happy otherwise."

"Oh?" My grin grew.

"They're together," I felt like laughing at the blushing idiots standing behind me.

I began laughing at the shocked looks on everyone else's faces. I sobered up quickly as my body ached from my still healing wounds. Law was the first to come out of his shock with a faintly disturbed look on his face, "I think it's best if we just get you three settled in."

The words broke Shachi and Penguin out of their shock as the two saluted Law, "Aye Captain."

* * *

I came to a few conclusions after being setting my stuff down in my room. The sub is big on the inside rather than small like all the other subs I've heard about. It was also clearly lived in if the faint sounds of laughter and cheering meant anything. Law clearly hadn't spared any expense if the lounge we had passed on our way down to our rooms meant anything. I wasn't feeling that bad about this place and felt like I could call it home. The thought brought a smile to my face and made me wonder if my friends thought the same. Shaking my head, I set about getting my stuff set up.

* * *

Law shook his head as he walked through the sub to the navigation room where Bepo was. While he had wondered about the three's relationship, it shocked him that the two men were together. It didn't disgust him as some would have thought, but it was still a surprise. It made him wonder what role Ariun played and why she had so boldly said that. Perhaps, it was because she thought it was best for him to find out now rather than later. Perhaps, she simply wanted to make it known from the start to make sure their new crewmates didn't freak out later. Or perhaps, she simply decided it was just something to be known and didn't care about the fallout it could bring. Whatever the reason, he was glad to know since it made his decision all the better. He had been debating having the two share rooms with other members of his crew to make sure the two wouldn't betray them, but had decided to let them room together. He dismissed those thoughts as he reached the navigation room. He walked over to Bepo. The polar bear mink looked up at him and smiled, "Hello Captain."

"Bepo what's the next destination?" Law asked as he looked at the map the bear had in front of him.

"Zender," Bepo answered and pointed to the island on the map, "It's our last island before Reverse Mountain," Bepo then scratched the back of his head, "Captain we'll need to get a log-pose soon,"

"We'll see if we can acquire one in Zender or from a passing navy ship on our way to Reverse Mountain," Law replied making the bear smile happily, "Inform everyone that we're about to set off and that we'll be submerging soon,"

* * *

I almost jumped as I heard Bepo's voice coming from out of nowhere, "We'll be departing in the next few minutes. As soon as we hit appropriate waters, we will be submerging."

"Submerging?" The thought caused me to shiver.

A knock echoed on my door which was opened seconds later by Shachi. He smiled at me only to frown slightly, "You okay?"

"Bepo said 'submerging'," I said while chewing my bottom lip, "We'll be underwater soon right?"

"Yup," The man smiled, "Don't worry we've done it thousands of time and nothing's gone wrong," The words didn't bring me any confidence, "Anyway, I'm here to offer you a tour,"

"Tour?" I mumbled the word.

"Yup," He looked around the room, "And it looks like you've finished setting up, so why not,"

I looked at my scattered belongings and wondered what gave him that idea. I contemplated asking him to come back later before shaking that thought off. He probably had things to do which prompted me to ask, "Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

Shachi shook his head, "Nah Pen and me are off duty."

"Day off?" I asked and gained a nod, "What do you do on this sub anyway?"

"I'm one of the mechanics," He answered with a proud grin, "Pen and I work with two others to keep the second boiler running,"

"You must be good at it," I commented with a slight smile that only grew when he blushed, "How long have you been part of the crew?"

"Since the sub was being built," He tapped his chin, "I think about eight months,"

"How long did it take for this thing to be built?" It looked like a very complicated and advanced ship if what I've seen so far meant anything.

Shachi seemed lost in thought for a moment, "About six months since we had a few setbacks," He smiled as if remembering a good memory, "Captain's idea's were amazing and he spared no expense on this ship since it was to be our home."

The thought made me smile since it showed that Law really did care about his crew. It made my decision to accept Law's deal all the better. I would definitely have to wait until I got to know both the members and the captain of this crew before I formed a solid opinion, but already I could tell this was perhaps my best decision so far.

 **End of chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

My eyes were locked on the porthole in front of me as the sub smoothly submerged itself. My fingers twitched and a small feeling of anxiety filled me at see the water rise above the window. Images of drowning came to mind and caused me to shudder as I tried to keep calm. I'm in what amounted as a metal box that was sinking into the sea. I tried to steer my mind away from the thought, but it just kept coming. Feeling something touch my shoulder, I almost jumped out of my skin and reacted like I usually did. I was slightly surprised to find something warm holding my hand and stopping me from punching something. I looked at my hand and paled slightly as I recognized the hand that was holding it. I looked up as I heard, "Ariun-ya it's considered rude to punch someone when they're trying to see if you're alright."

"I wouldn't have tried to punch you if you hadn't touched me," Slipped from my mouth as my eyes met cloud grey, "I don't like it when people sneak up on me,"

Bitter memories rose up in my mind, I pushed them back as Law spoke, "I tried to gain your attention, but you seemed deep in thought."

"Drowning in a metal box," I muttered under my breath only to hear him chuckle, "You heard me?"

"Indeed," He smirked down at me which made me realize that he was taller than me by a good few inches, "I assure you that my sub is safe,"

Hearing that, I couldn't stop myself from snorting, "Assurances mean nothing until the one being assured sees it for themselfs."

He gave me a raised eyebrow, "An interesting thing to say."

I shook my head and offered him a slight smile, "Not really when one grows up as I did. You learn to never take things at word or face value unless you completely trust the person they're coming from."

Law's eyes seemed to gain a hint of respect as he looked at me, "It's not often you hear things like that."

"I doubt it would be," I let out a soft laugh, "Tell me Law. Do you think it's easy to gain my trust?"

"No," The reply made me grin, "Though I expect it will be hard to lose that trust once I gain it,"

"Correct," I felt my respect for him go up, "I think we'll get along just fine,"

"I'm glad," He looked at the porthole, "Do you like the view?"

"It's interesting," The shift in the conversation was a surprise, "Never thought I'd see what the bottom of the ocean looked like until someone tried to drown me," I shuddered at the thought, "It's slightly disconcerting,"

"Instinct?" He asked causing me to hum in thought.

"Perhaps," I ran a hand through my hair, "Though I usually don't mind water,"

"A cat that doesn't mind water?" He asked with a slight smile on his face, "Interesting,"

I rolled my eyes before remembering what he said before, "So you wanted something?"

He nodded and turned his interesting eyes on me, "I wanted to inform you that I'll be doing a medical exam on you either tonight or tomorrow."

I nodded my head, "To make sure I'm not carrying anything that'll cause problems for everyone?"

He looked slightly surprised at hearing that, "Yes. How did you know?"

"I figured as much," I shrugged lightly and was glad that I didn't feel much pain from the movement, "It's something any good doctor or captain would make sure happened to all new crewmembers," I gestured to the area around us, "The submarine is still a metal ship with enclosed walls meaning that you can't risk illness as it will be easier to spread in such conditions,"

Law was about to speak when Shachi came running up, "Ready for the tour Ariun-chan?"

I nodded before looking at Law, "Is that alright with you or do you need anything else from me?"

"It's fine though Shachi-ya you should have asked me before deciding to give Ariun-ya a tour," Shachi paled making me slightly confused as to why, "Make sure to ask next time,"

"Yes Captain!" The pale ginger nodded, "Sorry Captain,"

Law waved him off and looked at me, "We'll speak later about what you'll be doing here."

I nodded and followed after Shachi as the mechanic started to head off.

* * *

After the two had walked off, Law headed towards his office as thought over what had just happened. While he had gotten his main objective of informing her of the mandatory medical exam done, he had intended to speak to her about her abilities. While it pleased him to know that she wasn't offended by needing to get the exam done, he was surprised that she knew the reason behind it. It would seem his female crewmate was going to be an interesting person. He pushed the thought aside for the moment and thought back to what he had seen at the porthole. Her skin had paled and her fingers clenched with the nails gaining a slight black tint. It was her eyes that took most of his attention though. They had gained a slight yellow sheen and the pupils had shrunken slightly while gaining a distinctly slitted appearance making them look like diamonds. When he had touched her shoulder and she had turned to him, her pupil had shrunken a little bit further and the yellow became more pronounced before her eyes had returned to normal once she realized who he was. It was an interesting event and one that made Ariun all the more interesting. He smirked as he walked and pushed his hands into his pockets, "An interesting woman and I have her on my crew."

* * *

A shiver went down my spine as I walked next to Shachi causing me to stop. Shachi looked at me in concern and asked, "You okay Ariun-chan?"

"I'm fine," I wondered what had caused it, "Someone must be thinking about me,"

"Probably most of the guys then," I gave the mechanic a raised eyebrow, "Most of them are perverts,"

There was a slight crash and running feet ahead of us before someone shouted, "Damn it Shachi! Don't ruin her view of us!"

I snorted as Shachi raced forward and followed the blue hatted male. We came upon two men that seemed to fixing a pipe and they both glared at Shachi. Both wore the regular white boiler suit of the crew, I noted that I was going to ask Law if I could skip out on that since it was definitely not something I could wear with how bulky it was. One wore a black beanie with a blue line going down the middle. The other wore a red beanie with white lines going across it. I noted that the one in the black beanie had silver eyes and green hair while the one in the red beanie had silver eyes and blue hair. Shachi glared at the two and was about to speak when I commented, "You two have interesting eyes."

"Thanks!" Both chirp while Shachi groaned.

"What are your names?" I asked while keeping an eye on Shachi as he facepalmed.

"My names Chad," The one in the black beanie grinned at me.

"And my names Brad," The one in the red beanie grinned at me as well.

"Nice to meet you," I held out a hand and both shook it, "My names Snow D. Ariun,"

"Pleasure to meet you Ariun!" I found that I liked them.

"Twins?" I questioned and received two nods, "Nice I've never really met any twins before,"

"A shame," Chad shook his head.

"Twins are double the fun," Brad sighed dramatically.

"Enough both of you," Shachi cut in before anything more could be said, "I'm taking Ariun on a tour and you two need to get back to work,"

"Fine," Both glared at Shachi before smiling at me, "Have fun with the tour and welcome aboard Ariun-chan,"

"Thanks boys," I followed after Shachi as he began to walk once more, "How did they hear you call most of the crew perverts?"

Shachi paused and pointed at an open ended pipe, "See that pipe there, it's a voice pipe. If you have something urgent and aren't near any speaker system on the ship, you can speak into it and it'll carry the news all over the ship," He looked at me, "It's a bit old fashioned, but Captain wanted to make sure we could contact each other if the sound system was damaged."

"Bepo used that earlier to tell us what was going on right?" I asked and gained a nod, "It's pretty cool, but doesn't that make privacy a bit of a problem?"

"Sometimes," Shachi agreed with a small sigh.

* * *

The sub had a total of five floors and three entrances. The main entrance was on the upper deck and used by everyone when getting off the ship. The lower entrance was used for cargo only. The last entrance was at the top of the ship and wasn't used much. It was only used by those on watch when the ship was above the water or by those that liked to star gaze. The navigators on the sub used it sometimes to confirm if the weather was good or bad. The bottom of the ship was where the engines and most of the other important things that kept the sub running. The floor above that held the brig, a few storage rooms, and what Shachi had told me was Law's secondary lab. By the shivering and way the man had paled, I decided to find out what he did in there later perhaps ask the dark haired captain myself. The floor above that was where the crews rooms were and held quite a few storage rooms. The floor above that held Law's room, the galley, Law's office, the infirmary, Law's primary lab, and a training room. The last floor of the sub contained the navigation room and the lounge for the crew. All in all, the sub was big and comfortable.

* * *

I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat down next to Kuro and Maki in the lounge. Both were glaring at Penguin, Penguin was glaring at them in return. I eyed the three for a few moments before deciding to look over the room. It wasn't that large, but it was very comfortable. The room had a few closets, a small fridge, a few tables, and plenty of places to sit. It was done in mostly black with some yellow or white spots. I liked the room especially because it had a skylight which allowed some natural light into the room. While it was slightly unnerving to see fish swim by, I would admit that I would spend a lot of time in here just drawing. With that thought in mind, I reached into my bag and pulled out my sketchbook bringing the attention of my four companions. Shachi grinned at me as he asked, "You draw?"

"Of course she does," Kuro snorted making my eyes narrow at him while both Shachi and Penguin glared at him, "She's a tattoo artist for fucks sake,"

"Kuro," I growled under my breath and the man stiffened, "Do not speak like that to these guys. They've been nothing but nice and deserve to be treated better,"

He looked away from me and muttered an apology under his breath. Maki sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry Storm. We're still-"

"I know," I cut him off with a small frown, "But please be nice and actually try to get to know them. They're our crewmates now,"

He bit his lip and nodded. I turned my attention to Shachi and Penguin as Shachi asked, "Still sore about having to join the crew?"

"Yeah, but they'll get over it eventually," I said before either of my friends could speak.

"Right," Penguin gestured to my sketchbook, "So what are you going to draw?"

"I dunno," I shrugged my shoulders lightly, "I never really do unless it's for a client or I'm focusing on something,"

"Can I see?" Shachi gestured to my sketchbook, "Just to see what your drawings are like,"

"Sure," I handed the book over, "Just try not to touch them,"

Shachi and Penguin looked through the book together while I looked at my friends. I knew that neither were exactly pleased, but hopefully they would come to like this place and realize this crew was actually a good one.

 **End of chapter**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **I changed Ariun's age just so you all know!**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law watched Ariun as she entered the room and looked around. The other members of the crew were conversing quietly, but multiple gazes fell on her. It would be the first time most of them had seen her clearly. She seemed to ignore them all, yet pay attention to them all at the same time. Her mismatched eyes scanned the room and settled on him for a few moments. Her lips twitched and he realized that she could probably hear all the conversations going on making him smirk slightly. Her head turned and her lips moved as she spoke to whoever was following her. He looked at Bepo as the bear murmured, "Captain Ariun is talking to Shachi, Penguin, and those other two guys."

"What is she saying?" He asked feeling slightly interested.

"She's wondering where they're supposed to sit," That made sense, "Will they be sitting with us Captain?"

Law thought it over before deciding that it would probably be for the best, "Yes."

* * *

"Captain will probably want you guys to sit with him," Shachi scratched the back of his head as he said that, "Ya know so everyone can see you guys,"

I nodded lightly before asking, "So how do meals go here?"

Shachi grinned, "Follow me."

We followed the blue hatted ginger over to where a buffet style table was set up. A man in black chef's hat with a frog sitting on top of it glared at Shachi before smiling at me, "Hello Darlin' names Buck."

"Hello Buck," The man held out a hand to me and I shook it, "You're one of the cooks here?"

"Yes Ma'am," He chuckled lightly, "The captain has three of us cooking though we it's highly likely that we're going to need another one,"

I hummed upon hearing that and was about to ask something when Kuro said, "Storm's a good cook."

I shot the man a glare while Buck asked, "Really?"

"Mostly baking though I'm a fair hand with knives," I looked at Kuro as I said that causing the man to flinch and back away from me slightly before I returned my gaze to the chef, "Just don't ask me to actually try to cook anything other than simple stuff,"

"Have a bit of a sweet tooth?" The man asked with a laugh.

"Yup though most of the stuff I make goes into this idiots stomach," I elbowed Kuro in the gut making him wince, "So what's for lunch?"

Maki looked at me knowingly as I changed the topic, but I ignored the idiot. Buck seemed a bit shocked at the question before grinning, "Today we're having shrimp scampi, chicken scampi, and some fresh fruit salad."

I immediatly grinned upon hearing the two meat dishes and asked, "How does all this work?"

"Tell me whatcha want and I'll give ya a plate of it," He answered, "Drinks are down the table,"

"Shrimp scampi and fruit salad please," Was my immediate answer.

"Like fish?" Buck asked as he set about making up a plate for me.

"So long as it ain't eel or puffer fish," I shuddered at the thought of those two.

"Allergic?" He asked making me nod.

"Puffer fish not eel," I answered, "Eel is just wrong,"

Buck nodded with a slight smile, "Tell captain that when he gives you your medical examination. He'll make sure to inform us of what you can and can't eat."

I nodded and took my plate when he handed it to me. I waited until the others got there food before heading down the table. I looked at the various drinks before grabbing some grape juice. Shachi led the way over to where Law was sitting and asked, "They're supposed to sit with us right?"

"Yes," I took the seat across from Law upon hearing that, "Enjoy the tour?"

I nodded as my mouth was already full of the delicious food. Law chuckled upon seeing that as Bepo asked, "Which one did you pick?"

I swallowed my mouthful before answering, "Shrimp," I looked at Law, "You have good cooks. I haven't had something this good other than soup in a long time."

Maki and Kuro gave me sad looks while the other four at the table looked at me in confusion. I didn't hesitate as I elbowed both for the sad looks as Law asked, "Why not?"

"A lot of people hated me remember?" I reminded him with a sardonic smile, "Certain shop owners and the like happened to overcharge me, so I couldn't get certain things,"

Law gave me an unreadable look as the other three gasped in horror. Shachi had choked on his drink once he heard me say that. Penguin had paled drastically. Bepo looked down right depressed. A warm feeling settled over me upon seeing their reactions. I glanced at my two friends and both looked at the others members of the table in surprise. I could tell that they would actually give these guys a chance now. I looked back at Law as he spoke again, "Did you do anything about it?"

I sighed softly upon hearing that question, "You would have to ask that wouldn't you," I looked at my food as I contemplated just how to answer that question, "Sometimes it's so easy to force people to do things. Sometimes it feels so amazing to watch people cower in fear as you walk by," My lips twitched into a melancholic smile, "In human or animal nature, you want to be the top dog. You want people to cower in your presence like the little rats they are. You want to tear them apart and make them see just how little they actually mean," I looked up at Law and captured his gaze, "But sometimes, you grow sick of it. You grow sick of the fear, the anxiety, the need to show that you're stronger than them, and so much more,"

* * *

The weight of her gaze was heavy and her eyes were tired as she stared into his eyes. Her voice seemed soft and whispery as she lost the dark tone she had used so far, "It becomes hard to act like you're better than everyone after so long. You grow weary of the fear they show you and you just want it to stop. Once you reach that point, you just stop acting like yourself. You start to ignore the world around you and become lost in yourself. You question everything you are and everything you've ever known," She shook her head lightly and turned back to her food, "It isn't worth it," She closed her eyes and sighed, "It never is. Trust me on that."

When she stopped speaking, he realized everyone in the room had been listening to her. After a few moments, they went back to their conversations though it was much more subdued. He continued to look at her as lunch continued. She stayed silent through the whole thing and when Shachi stood up, she followed him to deposit her plate in the usual spot before leaving. He turned his attention to the brown haired male, Kuro, as he spoke, "Damn Storm's in one of her moods."

"One of her moods?" Penguin asked curiously.

Kuro nodded though seemed surprised by the question, "Storm gets all sulky and antisocial when she talks about the bad parts of her past. Best thing you can do when she's like that is leave her be," He shuddered and rubbed the side of his face where a group of claw marks sat, "Trust me on that."

"Did she do that to you?" Law asked while gesturing to the claw marks.

"When she was around 15," Kuro answered with a grimace, "I pissed her off real bad on the anniversary of her mom's death and during her womanly cycle," He shuddered at the memory, "She was shaking, but I ignored it cause I thought she was just ignoring me," He smiled slightly, "Managed to give me these scars and completely shred my favorite hat,"

"You deserved it," The silver haired Maki smirked as the brown haired male huffed, "Don't even deny it,"

"I'm not," He glared at the silver haired male, "You have a few scars too,"

Maki chuckled and nodded at the interested looks he was given, "Yup though not in plain view like yours."

* * *

My hand was steady as I drew waves and sharp edges. My mind blissfully blank as I concentrated on the drawing that was coming together right before my eyes. An area shaded here and there, light in one area and dark in the other. Houses were formed as my hand moved. Snowbanks and snowfall forming with a slight movement. Walkways formed like spider silk. In time, the island and city I had once called home was formed. My heart ached slightly as I recalled that it wasn't likely that I'd ever see it again. Sighing, I set my sketchbook beside me on my new bed and leaned back. My fingers lightly brushed against the fabric of my scarf and I picked it up. I held it above me and stared at the silver patterns running throughout the entire fabric. I frowned up at it and murmured softly, "Mama I left the island to become a pirate. I left the place that holds so many bad memories, yet my heart aches. Is it because it was my former home? Is it because I'm leaving behind a life that I'll never get to see completed?" My eyes closed, "Would you be happy for me?"

Silence was my answer, I didn't expect anything less. My heart ached as I allowed the soft fabric of my scarf to fall to my chest. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on my door. Opening my eyes, I sat up as it was opened. Hesitant purple eyes stared at me as a tentative voice called, "Ms. Snow Captain wants to see you."

My eyebrow twitched at being called that. I shoved my irritation down as I stood up knowing that whoever this guy was nervous and didn't know any better. I walked over to the door after setting my scarf down on my bed and opened it fully. The guy backed up as I walked out of my room and I got a good view of him. Purple eyes like one of mine only a much lighter shade of lilac rather than amythyst. He wore a grey newsboy hat over his messy grey hair. I noticed immediatly that he was young. Maybe 16 or 17 years old, but not much older. My lips twitched into a slight smile and I decided to play nice, "Hi my names Ariun. What's yours?"

The males eyes widened as blush spread over his cheek, "Kaze."

"It's nice to meet you Kaze," I decided that he was kinda cute, "How old are you?"

"16," He murmured softly, "How old are you?"

"21 though don't you know that it's a bit rude to ask a lady her age," His blushed darkened, "So are you going to lead me to your captain?"

"Yes," He started walking and I followed after him.

I noticed that he was kind of tense making me frown slightly as I wondered why. It could be because I was new and he didn't quite know what to do with me. It could be that he didn't know how to deal with girls. I shrugged those thoughts off as it didn't quite matter and said, "Kaze please just call me Ariun. I dislike using my last name."

He looked at me curiously and asked, "Why?"

I tried to keep from scowling as I murmured, "I dislike it," I decided to ask a question before he could continue asking his own, "Kaze when did you join the crew?"

"Three months ago," He answered seeming surprised at the question.

"Three months being a pirate," I hummed softly and smiled, "You must have been really out of your depth around all these guys. Probably thought they were as bad as the marine's made them out to be,"

"Better a pirate than dead," The boy muttered bitterly.

My eyes widened before softening as I noticed some scaring on his cheek. He had been hurt and hurt bad it seemed. My mind went over the pirates I've interacted with and I realized that a majority of them only became pirates out of necessity. I spoke softly as I walked beside this boy, "Many do not choose the life of a pirate. It is sometimes forced on them or it is the best option for them. Humans are disgusting creatures sometimes. They often hate and fear what they do not understand which leads to violence more often than not," I shook my head as the teen looked at me in shock, "The marines can be evil too and sometimes they are the worse than some pirates," A bitter and distant memory of the past rose, "Some people wonder why pirates exist," We reached Law's office and I put a hand on the handle, "Have a nice day Kaze and it's nice to meet you," I opened the door and walk inside before the boy can comment, "I hope we can talk again soon,"

 **End of chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"You have an interesting crewmember Law," I comment as I walked further into the room.

He looked at me in amusement and curiosity as he asked, "Oh? Who?"

"Kaze," He frowned upon hearing that.

"Why do you think he's interesting?" I could hear the slight defensiveness in Law's voice.

I smiled softly as I pondered over my answer before musing aloud, "He has been hurt; hurt badly at that, yet he trusts you," I met Law's eyes as I murmured, "You must be a special person if you're able to get him to trust you."

Law's eyes widened slightly before narrowing into a glare, "How do you know?"

I paused in my movement upon hearing that and locked eyes with him. I could read the defensiveness in those interesting eyes of his. I could see that he cared for the teen. Seeing all that, I gave him the answer, "One who has a bad past can see others who had one as well."

A moment of silence fell over us as I continued to walk over to his desk and sit in the chair across from him. He finally spoke, "Kaze's past is something that I will not reveal to you."

"I wouldn't want you to," I shook my head in amusement at the thought, "One's past is a story that only they should tell,"

Law chuckled and nodded as the slight tension that had fallen over us evaporated, "It seems that we'll get along well enough."

"I would hate it if I didn't get along with someone as hot as you," He chuckled at my reply, "So what did you wish to see me about?"

"What skills do you have?" He asked making me hum in thought.

"An interesting question," I pondered on what to say, "Perhaps you could narrow that down a bit. Human or zoan form?"

"Human for now," He replied while seeming slightly amused.

"I'm good at handling knives and needles," I thought over my skills, "My skills with knives is both for fighting and preparing ingredients for food though don't ask me to cook unless it's baking something,"

I shuddered at the memory of my last attempt as Law asked, "How bad is it?"

"I burn water," He chuckled and I pouted at him, "Please don't laugh. It ain't that funny," I shook my head before continuing, "My skills with needles is mostly for tattoo's though I'm pretty good at first aid. I'm good with making natural remedies like headache reducers and such,"

"Who taught you?" My good mood dropped and I frowned, "Something wrong?"

"Let's just say it's not something I like talking about," I murmured while looking at my hands.

"Alright though I'm going to test you on your knowledge later since I expect my crewmembers to have some experience in first aid," I immediately snorted, "Do you find something funny?"

I offered him a lazy smile as my mood brightened, "Kuro will end up injuring himself and everyone around him if you try to teach him," He gave me a raised eyebrow, "He barely knows about keeping pressure on a bleeding wound. Anything else and he'll most likely make the injury worse."

Law eyed me for a few moments before muttering, "You're not joking."

"Nope," I said popping the 'p', "Maki on the other hand could be a doctor if he wished, but he hates dealing with whiny bitches," Law chuckled upon hearing that, "Maki's the one that usually takes care of our injuries," I then shook my head lightly, "Okay so where was I?"

"You said that you're good at handling knives and needles," He answered with a chuckle, "A bit absent minded?"

"Sometimes," I nodded my head since there's no point in denying it, "Alright I'm good at drawing which is a bonus with tattooing and all that," I ran a hand through my hair, "Other than that I'm fast and enjoy fighting. With Diablo, he caught me off guard, so I didn't get to fight to my fullest," I grumbled over that, "Goddamn idiotic mother fucking bastard,"

"Continue listing your skills please," He was smirking and chuckling.

I shot him a small pout before continuing, "Okay other than that, I'm good at hand-to-hand. I'm skilled at using my daggers and scarf. If I can't use those two, I always use my bladed staff to keep idiots off me."

"Do you use guns?" He asked and I nodded.

"If I need to, I'll use them, but I usually don't have to," I couldn't remember the last time I used a gun.

"So you're more for close combat?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup," I tapped my chin lightly, "Other than that, I'm pretty good at keeping an eye on money," I tried to think of anything else, "I don't really know if I'm good at anything else and I'm probably forgetting something," It was on the tip of my tongue too, "I suggest asking Maki or Kuro. They know my skills better than I do most of the time,"

Law nodded and I noticed him writing down something. I noticed that his handwriting was really nice as I read what he wrote upside down. My head hurt slightly from doing that, but I now knew that he was writing down my skills. I shook my head lightly to clear it as Law spoke again, "You have rather interesting skill set."

"Comes with growing up like I did," I said while leaning back against my seat.

"I suppose so," He agreed with a smirk, "So tell me about your zoan ability,"

* * *

He was slightly surprised to see her shake her head. He opened his mouth to speak when she said, "With my zoan ability, I think it's always better to show it then speak about it."

"So you'll transform?" He asked feeling curious only for her to shake her head.

She looked at him apologetically, "Unfortunately, I need to be fully healed to transform," She shuddered as if remembering something horrible, "Try while injured is both very draining and very dangerous to my health."

"Really?" He felt his curiosity grow, "Why?"

She looked both amused and slightly pale upon hearing the question. She was silent as she seemed to think about it. Her head tilted to the side slightly as her eyebrows scrunched up as if she was confused about something. After a few minutes, she seemed to come to a decision, "I don't really know if it's just me or if it happens to every zoan user so don't quote me on this."

"What do you mean?" It was like she was talking about something other than why she couldn't transform when injured.

* * *

"When I try to transform while injured, the pain becomes worse," I frowned as I tried to think of how to explain it, "It's like if you get shot and someone digs their finger into the wound just to hear you scream," The imagery wasn't nice, "The pain become unbearable once inside my animal form and I can't even think," I closed my eyes, "I end up returning to my human form and sometimes the injuries become worse,"

"Because your animal body is diffrent from your human one," Law theorised making me nod.

"Yes, but I can ignore the pain if it's a small wound or something," I gesture to where my injuries were, "Trying like this would end up with me passing out even if they're healing,"

"I see," He was silent for a few moments, "While I dislike not knowing what my crewmembers can do, I will wait until you heal to see your zoan abilities," I smiled brightly upon hearing that, "How are your injuries?"

"They're healing well from my point of view and Maki's," I answered the question while wondering where it came from, "You'll be checking them tomorrow during the exam right?"

"Correct," He seemed pleased for some reason, "I'm surprised you remember,"

I snorted lightly, "I make sure to remember important things. I may be absent minded, but I will remember it if it's important."

"Good," I noticed him writing something down, "What jobs have you done before?"

"I was a tattoo artist before," I was surprised at the question and wondered why he wanted to know, "I also dabbled in providing protection to those that I decided were worth it. I've done a few stints as a waitress, a baker, herbalist, and blacksmith. They didn't last too long, but they provided me with extra money to survive on," I tried to think of anything else, "I was a thief from the time I was 6 years old to the time I was 14 which is when the old man gave me my job as a tattoo artist,"

"A thief?" He seemed both surprised and amused.

"When you don't have anyone to take care of you, you have to find some way to live," I shrugged lightly, "I only took it up after my caretakers were forced to leave,"

"Caretakers?" He asked with curiosity in his voice.

I smiled softly as I remembered those people, "Yeah though that's the best word I can think of for most of them. They took care of me after my mom died."

"Why'd they leave?" I sighed softly and closed my eyes.

"For many reasons though at the time is was because the marine's were coming,"

"They were pirates?" My eyes slid open and I felt my lips twitch at the surprise that ran through his cloud grey eyes.

"Correct," My lips twitched into a smile as I lean forward slightly, "Does this surprise you Law?"

He was silent for a few moments before nodding, "Yes though why did they take care of you?"

"I never really asked, but I am thankful to them," I leaned back in my chair, "They saved my life after all,"

* * *

His mind immediatly went back to that morning in the infirmary...

 _"So you will allow yourself to fall into debt with a pirate?" He asked with amusement and she seemed to pause._

 _He was expecting her to say that she was joking or reconsidered it only for her to shake her head. Her lips curled into a slight smirk as she said, "Sure why not. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last."_

 _"You've been in debt with pirates before?" He asked before he could stop himself._

 _Her eyes brightened and her smirk turned into a soft smile, "Yeah. Pirates it seems always end up saving my life."_

He cleared his mind as he murmured, "Pirates always end up saving your life."

She grinned at him, "You remembered."

"It's not something one often hears especially someone like me," She looked at him in curiosity.

"Some like you?" She asked with her head tilting to the side, "What do you mean?"

He searched her eyes for some form of deceit, yet all he saw was genuine curiosity. It shocked him that she wouldn't know what others said about him. He may have started his actions as a pirate two months back, but already the North Blue was gaining fear of him. How could it be possible for her not to know anything?

* * *

I gazed at Law in curiosity and wondered what he was thinking about. My wonderings were answered when Law asked, "How is it possible for someone to not know about me?"

I frowned at him and wondered how he could possibly think I knew much about him. I mean he can't be that famous since no one was really bothered by him on the island. I shoved my confusion down and said, "I don't really read the newspapers or the bounty board. I've always been more focused on getting by then who's the biggest 'bad' guy out there."

I saw his eyes widen before he let out a chuckle, "I see then allow me to answer your question," He reached to the side and pulled what I realized was a newspaper towards us, "Look in the bounties section."

I leaned forward and opened the paper before flipping through the requested section. I ignored the bounties as I looked for my companion's and soon found it. He was smirking at the camera and I could see a demolished marine base in the background. My eyes focused on his bounty and I whistled in appreciation, "Nice a 38 million bounty," I then looked up at him, "Still have no clue what you mean by 'someone like me'?"

He chuckled and stood from his desk. I watched him walk around it and move towards me. The darkness in his gaze seemed to grow as he walked towards me. My breath caught in my throat as something about him suddenly screamed predator. My eyes narrowed as I felt my nonexistent hackles raise. He stopped right before me and reached out with his hand. I held myself still as he cupped my chin and leaned forward. I felt myself swallowing nervously as he spoke, "I am Trafalgar Law. The Surgeon of Death. I am a known sadist. I will experiment on anyone I feel like just to test something or for my own enjoyment. I've become a feared pirate within the first two months of starting out," He leaned forward a little bit more and I felt his breath against my lips, "Are you scared yet? Do you see what I mean now?"

I tried to keep my eyes on his. I really did, but his lips drew my focus. My eyes darted down and I saw that his mouth was just a few inches away from mine. My eyes went back up to his and I mentally shook myself as I saw the dark amusement swirling inside of them. Clamping down on myself, I willed myself to speak clearly and calmly before giving him his answer, "No I am not scared. I'll have to see you in action to believe it."

 **End of chapter**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law stared into her eyes and saw that she spoke the truth. He felt his amusement grow as her words cemented his thoughts on her being interesting. It made him wonder what she would do if he closed the distance between them and kissed her. Would she slap him once the shock wore off? Would she blush and try to pull away? Would she kiss him back? All those questions did was make him want to see her reaction. Before he could do anything, a knock sounded on the door prompting him to move away from her as he said, "Come in."

He noticed her sigh in relief and smirked as the door opened. Shachi walked inside and saw Ariun, "Hey Ariun what're you doing here?"

Before she could speak, Law said, "Shachi-ya, Ariun-ya was just telling me about her skills. Is there something you needed?"

"Oh!" Shachi shook his head, "Sorry Captain I forgot that you were going to do that,"

"It's fine Shachi," Law replied while trying to figure out why the ginger was here.

"Bepo sent me to tell you that due to ideal current's we're going to reach Zender the day after tomorrow," He nodded as that made some sense, "He wanted me to ask if you wanted him to inform the crew now or to wait,"

He thought it over before replying, "Tell Bepo to inform them tomorrow."

"Aye Captain," Shachi said before he began to leave, "See ya later Ariun! We're playing card in the lounge if you wanna join,"

"Sure," Ariun spoke for the first time since the ginger had entered, "I would be happy to,"

* * *

I felt my heartbeat return to normal as I watched Shachi and Law interact. Damn that man could be intimidating when he wanted to be. I closed my eyes for a second to center myself before opening them as Shachi spoke to me. After giving him my answer, he left the room. Silence fell over Law and I which I didn't mind too much since it allowed me to get myself under control. Law broke the silence as he sat back down at his desk, "Ariun-ya I wish to make something clear before I allow you to leave."

I stared at him in slight surprise as I asked, "What is it?"

"You are the only female member of this crew," He explained with a smirk, "While that isn't a problem per say, it could become one later on,"

I frowned before realizing what he was getting at, "Once we enter the Grandline, we'll most likely be spending more than three or four days at sea. Perhaps even a week or maybe a month, I'm going to be surrounded by males and most of them are straight."

"Correct," I bit my lip, "I see that you've realized what I've gotten at,"

"Pretty much," I hadn't really thought of it, "Damn this is going to be interesting,"

Law chuckled in amusement, "Is that the only thing that crosses your mind?"

"Not really, but I've learned to just go with it," I shrugged my shoulders, "So what exactly do you want to say?"

He smirked at me and leaned forward. Setting his elbows on the desk, he steepled his fingers, "You will be a temptation to your crewmates. We're nicer pirates than most, but we're still pirates. Some of them might not be able to keep themselves under control."

I snorted softly and leaned forward while standing up. Placing my hands on the desk, I smirked at Law in return, "Law I've dealt with men before, so it won't be a problem. If they try to force themselves on me, I will show them the error's of their ways. I am not a pushover, Dear Captain," I practically purred the last two words, "I appreciate your concern, but it isn't really needed. I can take care of myself."

He chuckled and stood as well. I suddenly felt a hand cupping my chin and his face just inches from mine once more. He spoke softly with his breath fanning across my lips, "I saw that when you killed those men on the way up to Diablo and when you killed Diablo," I suppressed a small shudder as I suddenly wondered how long it had been since my last relationship with someone, "The warning still needs to be given regardless of how capable you are," Damn why was it so hard to focus on what he was saying, "You are a woman on a male crew. A crew filled with healthy perverted males."

I spoke softly as I tried to ignore how close he was to kissing me, "I am aware of that Law, but you must realize something," He gave me a raised eyebrow, "I'm not," I lifted my hand up and gripped the front of his hoodie surprising him, "A tame kitty cat," I brought up my other hand and placed it around his neck as I allowed my claws to grow until they were sharp, "For people," Law's eyes widened as the claw on my pointer finger tapped against his jugular, "To play with," I smirked at him as I felt his hand fall away from my chin, "I can easily kill anyone that tries to force themselves on me. They are my crewmates, but if they try, I will leave them missing something important to them," I let go of Law and backed away from him as my claws disappeared, "Seeing as your message was given, may I leave?"

He nodded with slightly wide eyes and I left before he got over his shock.

* * *

He watched her go silently before allowing himself to fall back into his seat. The door to his office shut as his eyes narrowed. She was a dangerous individual that was sure. An interesting and dangerous person. A smirk appeared on his face as he leaned back against his seat. He mused that it was his own fault that he had allowed her to get that close. She could have killed him if she wanted to and she damn well knew that. He chuckled at the thought. It was quite clear that she wouldn't allow herself to be played with, but that wouldn't stop him. She was too interestingly new for him to not play with. He mused allowed as he kept his eyes on the door, "Ariun-ya you will be fun to play with," He steepled his fingers again, "Perhaps tomorrow's examination will be a bit more interesting than I intended."

* * *

I headed towards my room while trying to ignore what had happened in the office until I was behind closed doors. Once at my room, I opened the door, slipped inside, and closed it behind me before leaning against it. I slid to the floor as a blush spread across my face and my fingers pressed against my lips. I had been so close to kissing him. He had been so close to kissing me. The thought made my blush worsen and my heart beat faster. I tried to ignore those thoughts by pushing them down and think of something else. I had his neck in my hand and could have pierced his jugular with my claws faster than he could have reacted. If he's a sadist like he said, he was most likely going to torture me, take me apart with his devil fruit, drop me into the sea, or kill me with his nodachi. I was most likely going to die for doing that, but I wouldn't go down without a fight. I closed my eyes and breathed out softly as a small smile slipped across my lips. I have to admit he smelt really nice and his skin was really soft. I slowly stood up as I murmured, "He's most likely going to kill me, yet all I can think of is how good he smelt and how soft his skin is. Has it really been so long since I've been in a relationship that I'm thinking about how hot my killer is?" I rubbed my temples as I moved over to my bed and sat down, "Damn it. I really need to get laid."

A knock on my door almost made me jump, but I kept myself still as I heard, "Storm! Are you going to play cards?"

I took a deep breath to center myself as I called out, "Yeah just give me a few minutes Kuro."

"Sure thing!" I was slightly surprised by how happy he sounded.

I slowly stood from my bed and made my way over to the door. I closed my eyes as I set a hand on the door handle and took another deep breath before sighing. I opened the door and Kuro grabbed my hand as I asked, "Why do you sound so happy?"

"You were right," He grinned at me, "These guys aren't that bad,"

I stared at him in surprise before smiling slightly and allowing him to drag me towards the stairs. Kuro was happy here and Maki would be as well after another day or two. It was the way they worked. If Maki had been happy here, Kuro would be seconds later. It was just how they worked and it was something that always brought a smile to my face. The thought almost made me still. Damn they were just starting to be happy here and I was going to ruin it because I just had to threaten the stupidly hot captain of this ship. God damn it why did I have to do that to the stupidly hot guy? Oh wait, I know why! I did it because I'm a stupid idiot that doesn't consider my fucking best friends in my decisions. God damn it! I'm an idiot. I closed my eyes and tried to center myself. Okay calm down Ariun! Law might not kill you for doing something so stupid. He'll probably punish you somehow. The thought made me blush slightly as images popped up. God damn it brain nows not the fucking time for perverted shit. I'm standing right next to Kuro for god's sake. The dudes my brother. He doesn't need to see me blushing over stupid shit. I cleared my head as Kuro looked at me and I smiled at him, "I'm glad you like them."

He nodded happily as he led the way past Law's office towards the stairs, "I really like Shachi and Penguin. They're pretty funny guys."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I was glad to think of something other than my impending death by the hot captain's hands.

Kuro smile softened and he looked ahead, "I...well after you left lunch, they started asking questions about Maki, you, and me. They really wanted to get to know us. It's refreshing ya know?"

"Yeah," I began to grin, "They're refreshing after all the crap we've dealt with over the years. Makes me happy that they stopped at the island and decided to help us out,"

"I'm glad they helped you," He patted my head making me scowl at him, "Hey it's not my fault you're shorter than me,"

"Jackass bringing up height," I hissed at him.

"I'm the jackass?" He glared at me, "You're the one who fucking got caught by Diablo!"

"So fucking what?!" We were walking up the stairs at this point, "You're the one that got drunk enough that I had to help you home!"

* * *

A mini brawl and ten minutes later, I was perched on the edge of a chair smirking at a sulking Kuro. Maki shook his head and muttered, "You two don't ever stop do you?"

"Did you expect something diffrent?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as the group around us looked between us, "I'm pretty sure that's a waste of time,"

"No doubt," He rubbed his temples, "At least you two didn't hurt yourselves or worsen your injuries,"

"Hey we know how to be careful when one of us is hurt," Kuro glared at Maki.

"So this is a normal occurrence?" I looked over and saw that the speaker was a man with bright red eyes.

He had a baseball cap and bright purple hair. I wondered what his name was even as I answered him, "Pretty much. What's your name?"

"Atsushi," He replied with a slight smile, "I'm one of the cooks," He held out a hand, "You are Ariun also known as Storm,"

I took his hand and saw his eyes widen, "Are you alright?"

"You've had a rough life," He murmured softly as he withdrew his hand, "A very rough life filled with struggles," His voice dipped down and even with my enhanced hearing I could barely hear him, "Like Captain..."

My breath caught in my throat, but before anyone could speak, Penguin walked in, "Ready guys?"

"Yes," A majority of the room answered while I stared at the man before me.

He looked at me sadly before saying, "I ate the Inpurinto-inpurinto no mi. I can feel what others have gone through with a single touch using my base abilities."

He turned to the table as cards were being handed out as Shachi said, "Alright let's play poker."

I felt slightly numb as I took my cards.

 **End**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Inpurinto," I murmured under my breath as I dried my hair, "Imprint. He ate the imprint fruit,"

The night before had passed quickly and I ended up falling asleep after Maki carried me to my room. Surprisingly enough, I had drank a lot when the boys had pulled out some liquor from out of nowhere. I normally avoided drinking more than what gave me a buzz, but I hadn't last night. Perhaps it was because I was nervous about today? Perhaps it was because I wanted to have the best last night of my life? I didn't know, but damn did my head kinda hurt. I was tempted to go back to bed, but a knock on my door kept me from even trying, "Ariun-chan are you ready for breakfast?"

"Yeah Shachi," I put my towel into the hamper that was set up in the bathroom.

I pulled my shirt on just as my door opened. I saw disappointment in Shachi's eyes as he said, "Oh you're finished getting dressed."

I felt the insatiable need to tease this guy, "Is there a reason you opened my door without permission Shachi," He shivered as I practically purred his name, "Were you hoping I wasn't finished getting dressed?" I moved towards him as he began to blush, "Were you hoping to see something?" He gulped as I placed my hand on his cheek, "Shachi, Shachi, Shachi you're such a good guy," His blush deepened, "But I'm not that stupid."

I lightly patted his cheek, pushed him out of my room, and walked out after him. I giggled at seeing him blush and stutter, "N-no-"

"Shachi you're a male and any healthy male is a bit perverted," I waved off his surprise, "I don't really care if you guys are perverted or not,"

"Really?" He lost his blush as I nodded and began to walk towards the galley.

"Yup," I turned and began to walk backwards, "But if you try that again, I will be giving you a bloody nose and not from any view you may get,"

He paled and I grinned at him before turning around.

* * *

I reclaimed my seat across from Law while trying to push down the small amount of anxiety I felt being so close to him. He didn't even both doing more than smirk at me as I walked up before he turned his attention to the paper in front of him. I decided to relax a little and eat my breakfast since worrying wouldn't do me any good. Maki and Kuro sat down on either side of me. I couldn't help the need to tease Kuro since it was quite obvious he was suffering from a hang over, "Kuro how are you?"

My voice was sharp enough to make my headache hurt worse, but it was worth it seeing Kuro groan and glare at me. Maki rolled his eyes and muttered, "Don't provoke him Storm. We don't need a fight breaking out so early in the morning."

In a fit of childishness, I stuck my tongue out at Maki and blew a raspberry. He grimaced and I grinned at him, "Maki he deserves to suffer!"

"You have a hangover don't you?" Maki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No comment," I turned back to my food while ignoring the looks I was being given by the rest of the table.

"How do you know she has a hangover?" Shachi asked while I was eating one of my pieces of bacon.

"She's being childish," Maki said making me glare at him, "She acts very childishly if she has a hangover,"

"I can act childishly if I want," I snap after swallowing my food, "Don't be a dick,"

"And that settles it," Maki nodded sagely while Kuro was snorting next to him, "She only calls me a dick when she's hungover,"

"No I call you a dick when you're being an asshole," I jabbed my fork at him, "And you sir are an asshole this morning,"

I heard a few snickers and choked laughs making me smirk. Maki rolled his eyes and focused on his eggs while choosing to ignore me. I snorted and returned to eating my food while avoiding the eggs on my plate. After about five minutes, Law finally spoke, "Ariun-ya you should eat all the food on your plate."

* * *

He watched as Ariun stopped eating and stared at him like he was insane. It was a look that almost made him chuckle, but he held it back as she shook her head with a mutter of, "I didn't just hear that."

She went back to eating while continuing to ignore the eggs on her plate. He frowned as the doctor in him noted that she only had a few strips of bacon, a small portion of hash browns and a few fruits on her plate which defiantly wasn't enough food to last her through the morning if she didn't eat the eggs. He spoke while ignoring the looks he was getting from her two friends, "Ariun-ya you need to eat everything on your plate. You'll get hungry before lunch if you don't."

She again stopped eating and stared at him like he was insane before muttering, "I didn't just hear that."

Again she went back to eating while ignoring the eggs on her plate. He felt his eyebrow twitch as he was ignored by her. He spoke in a cold tone that made everyone freeze, "Ariun-ya I will not repeat myself again. Eat everything on your plate."

She again stopped eating and stared at him. She did so for a few minutes before picking up her plate, moving it so it was over Maki's plate, and scraped the eggs off her plate with her fork. She put her plate down and began eating once more after saying, "There now I'll eat everything on my plate."

* * *

The galley went dead silent as I ate my food. I stopped eating when I noticed that not everyone was doing the same. I looked up at Law and found him glaring at me. Well damn, he had been ignoring me and now his attention was on me. I stared at him with a raised eyebrow as he ground out, "Ariun-ya I dislike having my orders disobeyed."

"Technically I didn't disobey your orders," I knew that I was probably digging myself a deep grave, "I don't have any eggs on my plate, so I can't really eat them," I then picked up my next piece of bacon and comped on the end, "There's nothing on my plate I won't eat now, I can't really disobey your order to eat everything on my plate since I will eat everything on it,"

Law's eyes darken the more I talked and I heard everyone gasp in shock. I ignored that for now as I chewed on my piece of bacon. I was surprised when I felt a hand on my shoulder and Maki spoke, "Captain Law my apologies for Ariun's actions. When she has a hangover, she can't eat certain foods without becoming violently ill. Eggs are one of those foods."

You could hear a pin drop with how silent it was. Law's eyebrow twitched before he growled, "Why didn't she inform me of that?"

"You didn't ask," Was my reply.

He took a deep breath before saying, "Tell me next time."

"K," He went back to eating and the whole galley breathed a sigh of relief.

I found it oddly funny, but held in my amusement. Damn were these guys that easy to scare? Law could be scary, but he wasn't that scary. My mind however went to the fact he was most likely going to kill me and I sobered up. Well shit, I may have just made him a bit more mad. I wonder how he's going to kill me. Will he drown me? I had mentioned that the thought freaked me out. Was he going to take me apart with his devil fruit? It would be a slow and painful death if he allowed it to hurt. Was he going to cut off my head? Nah that was way too quick since he most likely wanted to make it hurt.

* * *

My morbid thoughts continued through out the rest of breakfast. They got continuously worse though at one point I was thinking of the most amusing ways someone could go. It was almost like a morbidly funny game. My thoughts were forced to halt as I stood up to get rid of my dishes and Law spoke, "Ariun-ya come to the infirmary in two hours for your medical exam."

A shiver ran down my spine as I met his eyes. Something in them was making the warning bells in my head go off, but I couldn't figure out what. Eventually, I decided to ignore them for now against my better nature since I couldn't figure out why. I gave a nod before I got rid of my dishes and left the galley. I was walking to my room when I felt a pair of arms settle over my shoulders. Stiffening, I elbowed whoever it was and heard choked gasps while someone laughed. Looking behind me, I saw Penguin and Shachi gripping their stomachs while Kuro laughed. I offered them an apologetic smile, "Sorry boys. I don't like it when someone tries to touch me unexpectedly."

Both waved their hands weakly, it took them a few minutes before they straightened and Shachi said, "No problem. We should have been a bit more careful."

"Yeah you're not the first person to do that," Penguin agreed with a weak grin, "Damn you hit hard,"

"Say that to the idiot with you," I said pointing towards Kuro, "Bastard barely feels it anymore,"

"Course not," He scoffed while walking over to me, "You've done that to me enough times to make that area numb,"

I rolled my eyes before looking at Shachi and Penguin, "So what's up?"

"We wanted to say that it was surprising to see someone act like that with Captain," Shachi rubbed the back of his neck, "Not a lot of people can do that and survive,"

"Really?" The thought made me oddly happy.

"Yeah, but try not to do it again," Penguin said with a grimace, "He'll punish you next time,"

"What makes you think he's not going to punish me this time?" I asked feeling curious, "What if he's planning on punishing me where you all aren't watching?"

Both shook their head while Kuro eyed me with suspicion, Shachi even snorted, "Nah Captain punishes people in either full view of the crew or in hearing range to make sure everyone knows that they can't do certain things."

"Even if I'm a woman?" I asked feeling a shiver go down my spine at the thought.

They both frowned before nodding as Penguin said, "Captain usually doesn't give a crap if you're a guy, a girl, or an animal. If you irritate him, he'll punish you."

"Yeah I remember the last girl who annoyed Captain," Shachi shuddered, "I know she deserved it, but damn,"

"What'd he do?" I felt my anxiety from earlier rise up again.

"I'm not exactly sure, but we all heard her screaming for mercy," Penguin was pale as he spoke, "She tried to kill Captain, but failed,"

I shuddered at the thought of what he could do and the images of what he was most likely going to do to me ran through my mind. I was well and truly fuck. It wasn't in the good way either.

* * *

Two hours later, I stood in front of the doors that led to the infirmary. Playing cards again with Shachi and Penguin had done little to calm my nerves. I eyed the door's with apprehension and tried to calm myself down. I just needed to be a big girl and face Law like the grown woman I was, but god was it hard to move. Maybe if I walked away, I could say that I was having so much fun with the boys that I forgot or that I got so caught up in drawing something that I didn't notice the time. Yeah that would work-A hand on my shoulder and the smooth voice of Law caused me to freeze, "Right on time Ariun-ya."

 **End**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Ariun stiffened as his hand laid on her shoulder and he said, "Right on time Ariun-ya."

He watched as she turned her head to give him a grin as she squeaked out, "Yup. Right on time."

The earlier anger he had towards her was gone the moment her heard her squeak. It was just too amusing to continue being angry at her. He felt the intense need to tease her and gave into it, "Are you alright Ariun-ya?"

She blushed to his intense amusement and nodded quickly, "Yeah let's just get this over with."

* * *

God damn it woman, why the hell did you squeak?! I mentally cursed at myself for doing that as I tried to calm my blush. I stiffened as he reached around me and opened the door while saying, "Ladies first."

"Such a gentlemen," Get a grip on yourself and don't let him know you're scared, "Do you do this for all the ladies?"

Sarcasm is good. Hell it's great when you're trying to ignore the intense need to run. Law chuckled as he used the hand he still had on my shoulder to push me forward, "No since most don't usually make it into the infirmary. They usually only get to my room."

Immediately, I wondered how many girls he's been with. I mean he's hot and apparently confident, but how many girls had fallen for his charms? I shook myself mentally as I walked inside of the infirmary and took a good look since I hadn't been able to earlier. The only thing that came to mind was, "Shit this looks like it's state of the art."

"I've spared no expense for my crews safety, comfort, and health," Law smirked as he passed me, "Please sit down,"

He gestured to one of the bed's and I walked over there. I eyed the small tray sitting there and couldn't see anything that was an out right danger. I sat down on the bed as I heard the sound of wheels rolling across the ground. I gave the man sitting in the swivel chair a raised eyebrow, "A swivel chair? How cliche."

He snorted at my dry tone and smirked at me, "It's comfortable and useful. Now we'll start with some simple questions. Full name?"

Rolling my eyes and wondering why he's acting like he isn't going to kill me, "Snow D. Ariun."

"Date of birth?" He asked after writing down my answer on a clipboard.

"January 21, 1502,"

"Age?"

"21," He looked up from his clipboard to give me a raised eyebrow.

"Really?" I nodded with a small frown, "You look younger,"

"A compliment during a medical exam?" I teased with a small smirk while trying to push down my unease at my situation down, "So unprofessional,"

He chuckled, "Ariun-ya I'm a pirate. I don't have to be professional."

"I suppose so," I guess I've decided that I didn't really care if he was going to kill me.

"Blood type?" He continued asking the medical questions.

"I'm not particularly sure," I admitted, "I've never really seen doctors enough to actually need to know,"

* * *

He eyed Ariun for a few moments and said, "I'll add that to the list of things I need to find out when I run your blood test."

"A blood test?" She grimaced and shuddered, "Do we have to?"

"Don't like needles?" He asked feeling slightly amused.

"Needles aren't my problem. Tattoo artist remember," She looked at her hands making him frown, "Tests are,"

He remembered her speaking of being experimented on before and decided to be a bit nice, "Don't worry Ariun-ya. I'm just going to see if there's anything abnormal going on with your blood. One example of this is that it will tell me if I need to adjust your diet in anyway."

She looked up from her hands and stared into his eyes for a few moments before nodding, "I guess that's okay."

"Now," He looked to see which question was next, "Height and weight?"

"Don't know,"

"We'll have to rectify that," She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "When was your last cycle?"

"A week ago," He was a little disappointed that she didn't blush.

"Sexuality?"

* * *

"Lesbian," Hey if I'm going to die why not have some fun with this guy.

Law actually froze where he had his pen against the paper and stared at me. I smirked at him as my tail and ears grew. My tail swished lazily behind me as I waited for him to speak or do something. He suddenly stood up and grabbed my hands in his. My smirk disappeared as seconds later my hands were behind me and Law was between my legs. I felt myself shudder from the amount of heat he gave off and the position we were in. Like yesterday, his face was inches from mine and I felt his breath fan across my lips, "Oh really Ariun-ya?"

My face heated as I swallowed slightly, "Y-yes."

"Does this position bothers you?" Dark amusement filled those interesting eyes.

Fuck it was harder to think with him so close. Why the hell was he so warm? I tried to figure out why when I felt a hand on my chin. Wait he asked me a question. Okay he asked me if this position bothered me, "N-no."

"You aren't a lesbian," Suddenly, he was sitting back in his seat and I was missing the heat his body gave off, "You would have immediatly tried to push me away,"

I frowned before giving him the right answer, "I'm bi though I lean more towards men."

He nodded and wrote that down, "When was the last time you had sexual intercourse?"

I had to think for a moment before I answered, "Three months ago."

"Male or female?" Damn this was kinda invasive wasn't it?

"Female," I couldn't remember the last time I had been with a guy.

"When was the last time you were with a male?" And he just had to ask that question.

"Can't really remember," Law frowned at me.

* * *

"Why not?" Her tail stopped swishing around.

A look of confusion slid across her face before she murmured, "Quite honestly I think the last time I was with a guy was a year ago and the relationship only lasted for a month. Maki and Kuro killed him I think."

"Why would they kill him?" Were they really that possessive of their friend?"

"I have no clue since I can't really remember my time with the guy," Drugged perhaps?

"Why not?" He wondered if he needed to put her through more tests just to make sure nothing irreversible had been done to her.

"He was boring as fuck and acted like a douche bag," She frowned slightly while he felt highly amused, "Can't even remember if he was a good fuck or not," She shrugged, "Next question?"

* * *

"When was the last time you got sick?" He seemed really amused for some reason.

I had to actually think about that, "I think I ended up catching the flu or something about five months back."

He nodded and wrote that down, "Allergies?"

"Puffer fish," I bit my lip, "Pistachio's, and Lemon leaves,"

He wrote that down before asked, "Last time you got injured."

"You already know that,"

He chuckled, "I'll fill that in later. Home island."

"Already know that and the sea," I rolled my eyes, "Please get to the stuff you don't know already,"

* * *

After finishing all the medical question crap, Law had me walk over to a scale, "Take off your shoes."

I took off my boots and set my feet on the floor only to hiss, "Fuck that's cold."

I glared at Law as he chuckled, "Get on the scale Ariun-ya."

"Fine," I muttered as I got onto the scale, "Fucking bastard finding it fun-"

I suddenly found a hand covering my mouth and warm breath against my ear as Law murmured, "I thought you agreed to not call me something disrespectful."

I tried to ignore how much my ear was twitching nor how my tail was pressed against my back as I replied, "You shouldn't laugh at me then."

I let out a hiss of surprise as I was pushed off the scale and pressed into the wall next to it with a hand on my neck. My eyes were wide as I stared into dark grey as Law growled, "Do not order me around."

I swallowed as a shudder went through me. He was so close and so warm. Something inside of me enjoyed the feeling of him being pressed against me. I tried to ignore that as I murmured, "I'm sorry."

He glared at me for a few more seconds before moving away, "Get on the scale."

"Okay," I quickly got onto the scale.

* * *

After Law calmed himself down and took her measurements, he wrote them down while saying, "You weigh 110 pounds."

He looked up at her before gesturing to the height chart. She didn't say a word as she stepped off the scale and walked over to the chart. It was a bit of a shock to see her not speak. Had he really scared her? Honestly it didn't seem like she should be scared if what he'd seen since meeting her meant anything, so why? Before he could figure it out, she spoke, "Are you going to check my height or what?"

He chuckled as he detected a bit of irritation in her voice. He walked over to her as he said, "Back to the wall."

She hesitated for a moment before doing so after her tail wrapped around her waist. He took a moment to look at it and felt his lips twitch as he saw the tip twitch. It seemed she was nervous. He moved up to her as she murmured, "Please get on with it."

He chuckled as he walked up and placed a hand on her chin. She stiffened and her ears stilled. He felt his amusement grow as he maneuvered her head into a neutral position and placed his hand on her head to flatten her hair. He was surprised to hear a rumbling sound as his fingers brushed the area behind her ears as he flattened them to get a proper look at the height chart.

* * *

I blushed brightly the moment the purr left me. Law chuckled causing my blush to deepen. God damn it that was embarrassing. He spoke as his fingers slid across my ears, "You're 5'5," I tried to nod only to find his other hand still on my chin and keeping my head in place, "Was that a purr I heard, Ariun-ya?"

My blush deepened and I murmured, "N-no."

Pleasure ran down my spine as I felt his fingers bury themselves into the spot behind my ear. A purr rose up from my chest as I shuddered. Law chuckled as his body pressed against mine, "I dislike liars Ariun-ya. Please refrain from lying to me alright."

"O-okay," My eyes slid closed as he scratched behind one of my ears only to snap open when he stopped.

He smirked at me as his fingers tapped my chin causing me to glared at him and bat his hand away as I hissed at him. I began to move back to the examination table I had been sitting on only to be pulled back and pressed against Law's chest. I stiffened as his warm breath brushed against the sensitive fur of my ear, "Ariun-ya," I swallowed thickly as warmth radiated from him, "I didn't say you could move away."

"S-so?" I stuttered and immediatly hated myself for it as he chuckled.

The sound traveled through my body from where I was pressed against his chest, "I'm your captain now Ariun. You follow my orders or did you forget that?"

I could only shake my head mutely and he chuckled before releasing me. I immediatly moved away from him and over to the examination table. I grabbed my shoes on the way and began to put them back on as I asked, "What now?"

He walked past me over to the sink and washed his hands, "Now we move onto the physical portion of the exam."

I couldn't stop myself from commenting dryly, "We aren't already past that? I thought we were since you can't stop touching me."

He chuckled in reply as he dried his hands, "You didn't seem to protest too much."

I tried to keep from blushing as I shrugged, "Why would I when you're a hot guy?"

* * *

"So you let all the hot guys touch you like that?" He drawled out as he walked over to her.

She snorted and smirked at him as the slight pink tint to her cheeks died, "Nope just the ones that I like."

"So you like me?" He asked as he placed a hand on either side of her hips.

"Hm," She tapped her chin, "Do I like you?" She smirked at him, "Nah. You're just hot enough that I don't mind being near you,"

He chuckled, "I see," He decided it was time to get on with the examination, "Give me your hand."

* * *

I hesitated for a moment before holding it out to him. He pressed his fingers against my wrist and turned his eyes on the clock. Why hasn't he done anything yet? Wouldn't it make sense for him to just kill me and get over with? It's not like I want to die, but still waiting for him to do something was grating on my nerves. He was acting like I hadn't put my hand around his neck and tapped my claws against his jugular just yesterday. I had to admit that the commentary between us was amusing and that I really didn't mind having him so close, but still. I spoke as he released my wrist and walked over to a cupboard, "Law aren't you a little angry at me for yesterday?"

He paused as he opened the cupboard before continuing what he was doing. Silence fell over us as I waited for him to speak.

* * *

Ah so that's why she hadn't spoken as much as she had yesterday. She was wondering if he was mad. The thought made him chuckle as he pulled out what he would need to check her blood pressure and walked over to her, "Perhaps I should be," He eyed her shirt, "Move your sleeve up."

She stared at him for a few moments before doing as he said. He placed the blood pressure cuff on her as she asked, "So...You're not mad?"

He removed his stethoscope from around his neck and placed the ear pieces in his ears before pressing the rounded end against the soft skin of her arm.

* * *

Law didn't speak until after he finished checking her blood pressure and writing it down, "Not really since it's my own fault for allowing you to get so close," He smirked at her as he cleaned up his equipment and put it away, "Did you think I was going to kill you for that?"

She nodded with relief clear in her eyes, "Yeah that thought's been on my mind since I left your office."

"I won't kill you," He wasn't about to let such an interesting woman die just yet, "It would be a waste after the energy the crew and I spent helping you,"

She shrugged her shoulder with a small smile, "Regardless of why, I'm glad your not going to kill me."

"I will punish you though," She stiffened and looked at him in alarm as he stepped closer to her.

"H-how?" She tensed up even more as he placed his hand at her throat.

* * *

My eyes widened as his eyes became half lidded and his voice took on a husky tone, "Swallow."

My mind immediatly went to the gutter as a blush spread across my cheek and I swallowed thickly. He chuckled and moved back as I pushed those images out of my mind. I bit my lip as I tried to calm myself down before I asked, "Are we done yet?"

"No," He wrote down something before placing his hand on my right shoulder, "Relax and let me take your weight," I hesitated prompting him to say, "I need to do this to check the range of movement you have,"

I allowed him to do what he needed before he moved to my other arm. I felt a small amount of pain as he moved my shoulder prompting me to murmur, "That hurt a bit."

He nodded as he moved over to the head of the bed, "I'll have to check it over to see how healed it is, but I'm surprised it only hurt a little."

I shrugged lightly, "Well I've always healed fast."

He raised the head of the bed up as he asked, "Was it the result of one of the experiments done on you?"

I frowned slightly, "I think so, but I'm not too sure."

He nodded before gesturing to the head of the bed, "I need you to take off your jacket."

* * *

Ariun frowned at him and hesitated for a moment before removing the white jacket she was wearing. He noted that it was the same one as before except there were black patches over the areas where the bullet holes had been. He returned his attention to her as she asked, "Now what?"

"Lie back," He instructed her, "I need to listen to your heart and lungs,"

* * *

Ariun had fidgeted throughout the entire process especially when he touched her front. She had actually flinched the moment his fingers brushed against her skin. It was one of the reasons that he quickly finished the examination without much fuss. Once he finished, he allowed her to push her shirt down though in a few moments it would have to go up again. He moved away from her as she sat up and murmured, "Are we done?"

"I need to check your organs which means you need to lay back and lift your shirt back up," He replied making her frown.

"Anyway you can do that without me needing to do that?" Her reply made him immensely curious, "Can you use your devil fruit?"

He shook his head, "I'd rather not," She frowned at him, "Why are you so nervous?"

* * *

I looked away from him not really wanting to admit why. I felt his hand on my chin in seconds and found myself looking into his eyes. Sighing, I murmured, "I don't feel comfortable letting someone touch my stomach that I don't really trust," I shifted slightly, "It's just something I've never really been comfortable with."

"What about your past lovers?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged lightly, "I was usually distracted."

He chuckled and let go of my chin, "I see though you still need to lay back so I can check your organs."

I grimaced, but did as he asked. He returned the head of the bed to it's place from before as I moved my shirt up to my breasts. He tugged the waist band of my pants down a bit making me tense and look at him with distrust, "Law..."

He merely smirked at me and began prodding at my stomach. I grimaced at the feeling though Law distracted me as he asked, "Why do you have a tiger tattoo?"

My mind went to the tiger that was sitting just above my hip on my waist, "My moms favorite animal was the tiger and she used to tell me stories about them constantly."

* * *

Ariun's eyes closed and she smile as he asked, "Why a white tiger?"

She seemed to relax slightly, "My mother's favorite type of tigers were the white ones. She said that while the normal ones were amazing, the white ones were truly magical."

"Magical?" He prodded at her kidneys, "What do you mean?"

"My mom used to say that the white tigers were blessings of some great god," It seemed he had found a way to get her to relax, "I can't really remember everything, but one thing was always clear. Tigers represent trusting ones instinct, so I decided to get a white tiger tattooed. A tiger to remind me to always trust my instincts and a white one to pay homage to my mom,"

"Do you have other tattoo's?" He asked wondering if they all had meanings.

"Yeah," She smirked as she opened her eyes and looked at him, "But why should I tell you anything else?"

He chuckled as he finished, "Teasing me Ariun-ya?"

"Course," She sat up and pushed her shirt back down, "Anything else?"

* * *

The rest of the examination passed and soon Law had the bandages over my injuries off, "Interestingly enough. The wound on your shoulder is almost finished healing. Another day or two at most. The injury on your right arm is finished healing. The one under you left lung is finished as well," He moved around me to look at the injuries on my back, "The woulds on your back are finished as well," He poked at the one on my shoulder again, "Why hasn't this one finished yet?"

I frowned softly, "It's probably because of the bone. My injuries always heal slower when they deal with my bones."

"Interesting," I disliked the look he was giving me, "I just need to take some blood for your blood test and you can go,"

"What will I be doing anyway?" I asked after he re-bandaged my wound and started to get out thing to take my blood.

"I have yet to decide," He looked at me, "What would you like to do?"

"Anything so long as it doesn't deal with actively cooking or working on machinery," I got a raised eyebrow as he walked over to me, "Remember I can burn water,"

"True, but why not work on machinery?" He asked as he set things down, "Didn't you work as a black smith?"

I nodded, "Yeah, but mechanical stuff usually goes over my head. I barely understand how the walkways back on my home island worked."

* * *

She looked away from Law as he took her blood. He could see that she was visibly disturbed at the sight of the syringe and vials. He could tell she was trying to keep from flinching away from him. He spoke to get her to calm down as best he could, "You never answered my question about how long you've been friends with Kuro-ya and Maki-ya."

She frowned and her head tilted slightly to the side again, "Hm...We've been friends for a long time. I think they've been friends with me since I was 6."

"So childhood friends?"He asked watching her relax slightly.

"Yeah," She actually smiled, "Those idiots have been with me for a long time, we've never really been apart from each other for more than a few days at a time,"

"Is that why you didn't leave your island sooner?" He asked as the question had bugged him since she had spoken of the hatred the island held for her.

"Yeah," She looked at the ceiling, "Law how long have you been a pirate,"

"Since I was ten," He answered after a few moments, "I'm 23*,"

"13 years as a pirate, yet you've only gained a bounty now?" She turned her eyes towards him as he finished, "Why?"

 **End**

 ***I know he's 24 at his debut, but I'm making him 23 at the moment.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law was quiet as he removed the needle from my arm and pressed a piece of cotton against the small wound it had created. He finally spoke after a few moments, "For many reasons."

I frowned softly, but decided not to press the subject, "So now what am I supposed to do?"

Law seemed surprised at the change of subject, "Seeing as I've finished the medical exam and need to do your blood work, I suggest going to the galley to get something to eat. Other than that, you may use the rest of the day as you see fit, but do not miss any meals."

Law put a piece of medical tap on the small piece of cotton and I asked, "How long do I have to keep that there?"

"An hour to two," He moved away from me, "You can leave now,"

I hopped off the examination bed and walked towards the door. I paused as I grasped the handle and turned my eyes towards Law. I debated just leaving, but decided to say something, "Law," He turned his head towards me, "Thank you for taking my friends and I in. If not for you, I doubt any of us would've survived much longer."

I left before he could speak and headed towards the galley since my stomach was growling at me.

* * *

He watched her leave and felt his lips twitch into a smile. He hadn't expected that, but he supposed it was nice to be thanked once in awhile. He frowned and pushed that thought away. Gratitude was useless to a pirate. He set up the equipment to test her blood after putting everything else away. He smirked slightly as he wondered just how he was going to punish her. It would defiantly have to wait until after she was fully healed, but the things he could do to her were endless.

* * *

"Hey Ariun where have you been?" Shachi asked as I walked into the galley for lunch, "Captain's examinations don't usually take that long,"

I shook my head lightly, "I was in my room drawing. I had some ideas I wanted to play around with."

"New ideas?" Kuro asked looked at me like I was about to bite him, "Better not be one of those crazy ones-"

"Kuro my idea's aren't crazy," I glared at him, "The only reason it backfired that one time was because you decided to interrupt me when I was in the middle of working on it," I crossed my arms across my chest, "Not my fault it exploded on you and not me,"

"What kind of projects are you talking about?" Penguin asked as I walked over to grab my lunch.

"Sometimes I work on new fighting moves, creating new clothes, and some new recipes," I explained while pointing at what I wanted for lunch, "Sometimes I work on new herbal remedies and stuff,"

"What kind of project explodes?" Shachi asked as I was handed my lunch.

"The kind that deals with new weapon ideas," I was met with many diffrent stares, "The reason the project I was working on at the time exploded was because I was working with gun powder," I grabbed some water, "It was one of my attempts to create a long rang weapon that would work for me," I grimaced as I remembered the result, "Because of Kuro, my experimental paint bombs exploded,"

"Paint Bombs aren't deadly," Someone pointed out and I shrugged as I went to my seat.

"If I had figured out how to create effective paint bombs, I would have created other types of bombs. Some of them would have been poison based," I sigh softly as I dug into my fried fish, "But then Kuro had to ruin it,"

"Oi! I was only trying to-" He began with a small blush.

"You were trying to escape an angry mob," Maki and I cut him off before shivering, "Don't copy me,"

"Freaky," I mutter and got a nod of agreement from the man next to me, "The mob was chasing you because you decided to try and sell them..." I trailed off and tapped my chin, "Maki what was he selling?"

"I believe it was some kind of miracle cream," Maki frowned in thought, "Or it was some piece of wood that gave you magical powers,"

"I think it was the miracle cream," Kuro was blushing badly, "Cause all of the idiots were covered in some type of sticky white substance," I shrugged my shoulders, "Either way we ended up in the local jail for a day before Maki bailed us out,"

"I was temped to leave Kuro in there," Maki admitted while Kuro blanched and stared at him in horror, "What?" Maki looked at Kuro in mock confusion, "Did you really think I wasn't going to punish you for selling that stuff?"

"White substance?" Someone commented while everyone eyed Kuro, "Dude you didn't,"

"It wasn't what you think it is!" Kuro shouted only for me to shake my head and cover his mouth.

"Don't listen to him," I smiled sweetly at Kuro causing him to pale and close his mouth, "He probably did," I leaned forward and whispered, "I will hurt you if you even think about licking or biting my hand. This is pay back for all the times you've embarrassed me,"

I removed my hand and Maki smirked at me, "Revenge?"

"A dish best served when cold," My lips curled up into an amused smile, "And I'm one of the best at extracting revenge,"

"Hey Captain didn't come in for lunch," Someone commented making people frown, "Wonder why,"

"Probably got busy," Shachi waved off their concern, "He's probably reading some kind of medical journal,"

* * *

Law looked at the blood he took from Ariun and frowned as some of the cells disappeared then reappeared. He watched this happen again and again before finally murmuring, "Interesting. Ariun-ya what secrets are you holding?"

* * *

"So Ariun-chan what are you going to be doing?" Shachi asked as we left the galley.

I thought it over before shrugging, "Back to my room to continue working on my ideas."

"Ah man don't you wanna see what we can do?" Penguin asked with a disappointed look on his face.

"I do, but I'm not very accustomed to heat," I smiled sheepishly at them, "I used to be, but not any more," Both pouted and I rolled my eyes, "I doubt Law wants me down there since I don't know much about mechanical shit."

"Really, but you knew about the-" I raised my hand causing Penguin to fall silent.

"I can barely understand how the walkways back on my home island work," I ran a hand through my hair, "Guys I'm not some technical genius. Most of the stuff goes over my head, the things that don't are usually so basic that everyone knows them," I looked around and spotted Kuro, "You know Kuro's a prodigy when it comes to that kind of stuff. If it weren't for certain things in our past, he could have become one of the best mechanics out there. I'm sure he'd enjoy working with you,"

"Really?" Both looked at Kuro who remained oblivious as he talked to Maki.

"Yup though don't expect him to know be of any help if one of you get injured," Both looked at me, "He maybe a mechanical prodigy, but medical shit goes over his head," I nod my head towards Maki, "Maki on the other hand could've been a doctor had it not been for certain shit happening,"

Both eyed my friends, "We'll see you later Ariun-chan. We need to talk to some people."

I turned and walked away towards the stairs while giggling softly. So long as Maki and Kuro are busy, I'll be able to work on my projects in piece. Shame I can't work on anything really fun.

* * *

"Captain?" Bepo knocked on the door and looked around the infirmary, "I've brought you lunch,"

"Set it on my desk," Law ordered while moving the sample he was looking at and putting it away before walking over to the sink to wash his hands, "Has the crew been behaving?"

"Yes Captain," The Polar Bear nodded his head, "Kuro and Maki are currently down near Boiler Two," Law looked at the bear and he explained, "Shachi and Penguin decided to see what the two could do since Ariun said that Kuro was a mechanical prodigy,"

"I see," He thought about the silver haired male that had joined his crew, "What did Ariun say about Maki?"

"She said that he could've been a doctor," Bepo answered while looking at his captain.

"I want Maki to come here," Law ordered as he took a seat at his desk, "I wish to speak with him about something,"

"Aye Captain," Bepo set Law's food in front of him before leaving the room.

Law dug into his food as his thoughts went to the strange thing he saw in Ariun's blood. Perhaps the silver haired man can shed some light on the situation.

* * *

"You asked to see me Captain?" Maki asked as he entered the infirmary.

Law nodded to the man, "I did," He gestured to the seat in front of his desk, "Sit."

Maki did as the man asked, "So what's wrong?"

"Are you aware that Ariun-ya's blood is abnormal?" Law had decided that beating around the bush was pointless.

Maki's eyes widen before he cursed, "Shit," He eyed the man before him, "How did you find out?"

"I took some samples of Ariun-ya's blood to do a routine check as well as see what her blood type was," Law explained as the man tensed, "Is there a problem with that?"

"No though if you needed to do that you could have asked me to do it," Maki frowned at him, "I'm surprised Storm allowed you to take any of her blood given how much she hates it,"

Law smirked at him, "Is there a problem?"

"You didn't drug her did you?" He scowled at the thought and Maki sighed, "Good. Storm is as close to a little sister to me as I can get," Maki rubbed his face tiredly, "Her blood turned invisible didn't it?"

"Some of the cells did while the others did not," Law replied with slightly narrowed eyes, "What could cause this?"

"You know how that scientist experimented on her and one of the results was her ability to turn invisible?" Maki asked and he nodded, "The reason her blood does that is because whatever the hell allows her to do it," Maki ran a hand through his hair, "It isn't hurting her, but I don't know what all it's doing to her,"

"So it could have shortened her life span?" Law asked grimacing slightly.

"Maybe," Maki looked at Law, "I don't really know and Storm's not very concerned with it. I've had to leave it be because it's way out of my league,"

"I see," Law frowned in thought, "Has she revealed any other abilities?"

"Other than invisibility?" Maki clarified and gained a nod, "Her natural healing gained a slight boost, her sense of smell got better, and she's able to adapt to various temperatures after enough exposure," Maki grimaced after a few moments, "One warning though," He looked seriously at Law, "When she's in her animal form, she often gains the mindset of an actual snow leopard if she's put under extreme pressure. If that happens, it can be days before she regains here sense,"

Law took out Ariun's file and wrote the new information down, "Is there anything else I should add to her medical file?"

"She fears cages," Law froze and looked up at Maki, "If she's ever forced into a cage, she will completely shut down. If that happens, she will revert to her leopard form regardless of her injuries," Maki grimaced as he stared at Law, "When that happens, she will attack anyone that comes close to her,"

"The scientist locked her into a cage?" Law asked and Maki nodded with a grimace.

"Yes," Maki stood up, "If that's all Captain, I would like to return to what I was doing,"

"I will be doing your medical exam as well as Kuro-ya's today," Law told the man, "Inform Kuro-ya,"

"I will," The man left without another word leaving the Law alone.

He stared at the file in his hands and grimaced. Sometimes human's disgusted him as much as intrigued him. What could Ariun have possibly gone through while that man experimented on her? He sighed as he set the file down and pinched the bridge of his nose as he muttered, "Why is it that I always get a problem case every time someone joins my crew?"

 **End**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"We will be reaching Zender within the next hour," Bepo's voice came through the nearby voice pipe as I made my way towards the galley for breakfast, "We will be surfacing in thirty minutes,"

I yawned softly and ran my fingers through my hair commenting, "It will be good to feel the sun again."

"Zender from what I've read is one of the few islands of the north blue that have a warm climate," Maki said with a pleased smile, "It is theorized that the warm climate is caused by how close it is to Reverse Mountain,"

Humming softly, I murmured, "It also has one of the larger marine bases in the North Blue much like Lounge Town in the East Blue."

"So we may get to fight," Kuro commented with a slight grin, "Been a long time since we've fought with some marine's. Eh Maki?" He nudged Maki with an elbow, "It'll be fun,"

"The Captain most likely won't want us to fight unless provoked," Maki pointed out as we reached the galley.

"Oh right we have to listen to orders now," Kuro grimaced and I rolled my eyes.

* * *

I took my seat across from Law and asked, "What are you going to have Maki, Kuro, and I do?"

"You'll be with me," Law replied as he dug into his own breakfast, "Maki-ya and Kuro-ya will be helping the others gather supplies,"

I nodded my head with a slight frown, "What are we going to be doing?"

"We'll be paying a visit to the Marine's," My lips twitch as Kuro groaned, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope," I turned my head towards Kuro with a grin, "Do you have a problem Kuro?"

Kuro gave me a glare, "Not a fucking word Brat."

"Don't call me a brat. I'm a year older than you," I ate one of the grapes on my plate, "If anyone's the brat, it's you,"

"Storm-" He began only for me to snort.

"Kuro you're just pissed you may not get to fight anyone," I continued to eat my breakfast.

Law cut off any response Kuro would've had, "Ariun-ya please inform the rest of us about what's going on."

Kuro groaned as Maki shook his head. I grinned at Law, "It's really simple. Kuro's a fight manic. He'll take any chance to fight he can get," I then gesture to myself, "I don't particularly enjoy fighting unless it's against strong opponents or someone I really hate," I shrug lightly, "Kuro's merely pissy over the fact it is unlikely he's going to be able to fight."

Law chuckled and smirked, "You do not have to worry about not fighting Kuro-ya," Kuro looked at him with slightly wide eyes and an eager smile, "I'm planning on creating a confrontation with the marine's in order to increase my bounty as well as gather some of the research notes they have. We'll most likely have to fight our way out."

"Sweet!" Kuro was practically drooling with joy.

I rolled my eyes and lightly swatted him on the back of his head, "Calm down you idiot. We won't be fighting for awhile."

* * *

I made sure I had my scarf, my daggers, and my bladed staff on me before leaving my room. I made my way up to the main deck where Law was with the rest of the crew. I walked over to him as everyone started to get the sub ready to dock. Law glanced at me and asked, "What's with the tube on your back?"

"It's the compact form of my bladed staff," Law nodded as I took the hanging tube from it's holster and handed it to him, "I just have to twist it in a specific way and it'll extend,"

Law looked over the black tube before handing it back to me. I returned it back to my holster as he asked, "Why bring it?"

"Better safe than sorry," I shrugged lightly, "You're planning on getting into a confrontation, so I thought it best to have my weapons on me,"

"Smart," He gestured to my canvas bag, "And the bag?"

"I was hoping to have a chance to get some new materials to work with," I explained with a slightly sheepish expression, "If you're willing that is?"

Law seemed to consider it before nodding, "I don't see a problem doing that since I wish to check out a few shops."

* * *

Ariun smiled at him before looking at the approaching island with slightly wide eyes, "Are those cherry blossom trees?"

He took note of the pink trees and nodded, "So it seems."

"I've never actually seen them before," She breathed out softly and her nose twitched, "The air's starting to smell sweeter,"

The fact she could actually smell them at this distance was a surprise. He watched her move forward a little with her eyes becoming half-lidded. Humming softly after a few moments, she smiled softly as her tail swished in an almost hypnotic way. He noted that she seemed relaxed even among the hectic atmosphere the crew created as they got the sub ready to dock. He felt his curiosity peak since she had been relaxed when they were fighting through Diablo's base. He commented on that fact, "You seemed relaxed even though the area around you is hectic. Why is that?"

She shrugged slightly and turned her head towards him with a lazy smile making her look much like a cat, "I've found that becoming stressed in most situations will only make it worse and thus a waste of time. Why waste my time and energy on being stressed when I can be relaxed?" Her tail stopped swishing and wrapped itself around her waist, "Quite honestly," She turned fully towards him as her eyes opened fully, "I like being able to keep my options open when it comes to most situations. When in a fight, I can make my opponents second guess themselves and mess up if they think that their attacks aren't doing anything to faze me."

Another unique way of thinking. He chuckled softly and nodded, "I suppose that's one way to think of it," He turned his gaze towards the Marine base that was becoming large by the moment, "How is your shoulder?"

"Only a little tender," She answered and followed his gaze before whistling, "Damn that's going to be one big base," She turned towards him, "So any idea where the things you want are located inside that thing?"

"I've done a bit of research and have interrogated quite a few marines since starting out," He replied with his usual smirk feeling confident in his information, "I've figured out the general area though there are several places it could be, so we'll have to check all of them until we find what I want,"

She smirked as she commented, "Made damn sure the information was correct? Smart and well thought out," She nodded as her smirk widened into a grin, "The area is most likely well guarded or at least somewhat well guarded right?" He nodded wondering why she would ask, "Anyone of note stationed there?"

"I believe so. Why?" He had a feeling about why, but he wanted her to confirm it.

"I want to fight a strong opponent," And there was his confirmation, "Will you let me?"

"Of course since it will give me a better idea of what you can do," She nodded with a large grin and turned back to the island, "Will you be able to transform?"

She hummed softly for a few minutes before nodding her head, "In an hour."

"What about your invisibility?" He wondered if she could extend it to others.

"I can use it at any time," She turned her head towards him with a frown on her face, "Why?"

"Can you extend it to others as well as yourself?" She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

A sigh left her and minutes passed. He wondered why she was hesitant to inform him. It was his right as captain to know what his subordinates could do after all. He was about to speak when she opened her eyes.

* * *

I stared at Law as I finally decided what to do, "I...I can extend it to others though I dislike doing it."

"Why?" Law pressed making me sigh.

I turned away from him to look at the approaching island as the memories of the last time I had extended that ability to another pressed against my skull. I shoved them back as I murmured, "It leaves me vulnerable and weakens me. If I extend it to another, I prefer that person to be someone I trust."

I grimaced slightly at admitting that to someone I barely knew. It rubbed me the wrong way at how much digging Law was doing, but I suppose it was the duty of the captain to know what his crew could do. I pushed the feeling down as Law asked, "If I need you to use it on both of us, will you?"

"If it comes down to it," I frowned at the thought, "I hope it doesn't,"

* * *

He wanted to question her more about her abilities, but the chance was gone as Bepo walked up behind him and engaged him in a conversation about what he should be doing while they were docked at the island. When he was finished, Ariun had gone off to speak with Shachi and Penguin. He walked over to them and listened as Shachi said, "And Captain used his devil fruit to cut the base in half."

Ariun whistled softly, "Damn his ability is useful."

"Yeah," Penguin grinned at her, "In more ways than one,"

"Though it's kinda creepy," Kuro commented from where he stood nearby.

Law was about to speak when Ariun snorted, "Nah," She smiled slightly, "I like his ability. It's really interesting."

"Careful Storm," Kuro spoke in an almost bored fashion that didn't fit the man, "Your sadistic streak is showing,"

"And you're one to talk," Ariun rolled her eyes as she waved him off, "At least I don't act like an idiot just to get attention,"

Kuro glared at her and opened his mouth to say something when Maki laid a hand on his shoulder, "Calm yourself Kuro," The brown haired male quieted down while the silver haired one looked at Ariun, "Do not push his buttons Ariun," Ariun flinched and he realized that this was the first time the silver haired male had called her by name, "It will do neither of you any good."

Ariun nodded silently and Law chose this time to speak, "Kuro-ya, Maki-ya you will need to be fitted for your boiler suits while we're on the island."

The two nodded and Ariun turned to him, "I don't have to wear one right? It'll only get in the way."

"I wasn't planning on it though you'll have to wear our jolly roger somewhere," He wondered what she meant by it getting in the way and decided to ask at a later time as they slowly slid towards the docks, "We're about to dock,"

"Sweet," Kuro grinned and looked at the island eagerly.

Ariun however looked rather pensive as she gazed at it. Her ears constantly twitched on her head as they drew closer and she murmured softly, "We need to be careful."

"Storm?" Kuro and Maki looked at her in slight alarm.

"Something is off," Her ears stilled as her eyes narrowed and gained a yellow tint, "Be careful both of you," She looked at them seriously, "I don't like it,"

"Alright," The two agreed without hesitation.

He placed a hand on Ariun's shoulder and the spotted haired woman looked at him, "What's going on Ariun-ya?"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at the island, "I don't know, but something's off. I don't know what it is, but it's causing my senses to go into high alert," She smiled and it wasn't her usual one, this smile was much darker, "Somethings going to happen," The hairs on the back of his neck rose as she licked her lips and her eyes seemed to gain a more cat-like look to them, "Oh this is going to be interesting."

 **End**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Ariun-ya," I turned towards Law with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes Law?" My fingers were twitching slightly at the looks I was being given by most of the males we past.

He was smirking slightly and somehow I knew it was because of the looks I was being give, "You are unused to the attention, are you not?"

The females were glaring at me as opposed to the males that were giving me heated looks that made my skin crawl. I offered Law a glare before returning my attention to the shops around us, "I'm used to being hated by almost everyone, so no. I am not."

Law chuckled as he walked beside me, "You believe yourself to be unattractive then?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't really care if they find me attractive. The stares are disconcerting."

"Perhaps if you get rid of your tail and ears they wouldn't stare," Law suggested making me snort.

"I'd rather not," I crossed my arms over my chest, "I prefer walking around like this and I'd rather not be caught off guard,"

"A defense then?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. While my hearing is better than average with my human ears, my leopard ears are much better," I loosened my tail from around my waist and let it swish behind me for a little, "My tail however increases my balance among other things,"

"Among other things?" He questioned as we reached a store selling what I needed.

* * *

"Law can we stop here?" Ariun asked as her hand gestured to the store beside them.

Law eyed the store before nodding as he noted the various arts and crafts supplies in the window. Ariun immediatly headed inside leaving him to follow after her. He found her already at the back of the store looking through various types of books. She seemed to find what she wanted rather quickly if the four rather thick looking books she picked up meant anything. She moved over to the writing utensils and began to look through them. Moving towards her, he asked, "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Things that last awhile," She didn't look up from the seemingly identical pencils she was holding up, "The higher quality things are usually the best, but sometimes they just don't last. Seeing as I don't know when I'll get another chance to get more supplies, I have to get the things that last a long time," She put one back and continued through the section, "Drawing to me is meditative and what my mind is naturally geared for. Once I start drawing, I become lost in the things I create. I can spend hours drawing and not realize the time," She let out a soft laugh and looked at him with a soft smile, "My boys will complain about me spending days on end just drawing nonsense since most of the time I don't know what I'm trying to draw until it's finished,"

Law watched as she moved past him towards another section and followed behind her. It was mind boggling to see someone that was like he was when it came to medical knowledge. He often heard the crew speak about how long he usually stays in his rooms just pouring over some medical book. Even if Ariun wasn't focused on medicine, it still felt oddly nice to find someone that held that much passion for something.

* * *

After finally leaving the arts and crafts store, Ariun was blushing as she carried three rather large bags, "Sorry about that Law."

He waved her off and started walking down the street again, "It's no trouble. We're going to make a stop back at the sub after we head to the book store."

"We're going to the book store?" He nodded and she grinned, "Sweet! I can see if they have any new books on plants,"

"Why?" He felt slightly confused as to why she would care about plants.

"I was a herbalist once remember," He nodded suddenly remembering that she had mentioned that at one point, "I know how to make useful salves and stuff out of plants to aid in healing,"

"Are you planning on doing that while you're on the sub?" He asked wonder just how she would acquire those plants, "You do realize that we'll be underwater most of the time,"

"I realized that, but we'll be stopping at diffrent islands," She grinned brightly, "I'll just make the salves using the time we're on those islands,"

"What makes you think we'll be on any of those island for a significant amount of time?" He felt both annoyed and intrigued.

Her grin turned sheepish and she ran a hand through her hair, "Well I know that we're heading to the Grandline and I've read books about how regular compasses were useless there," Her eyes narrowed slightly as she bit her lips in thought, "I've read that the reason for that is that each island has a specific magnetic field and those magnetic fields disrupt the compass somehow. You have to use a specific compass called a log-pose to get around or else you'll be a sitting duck with no way of knowing where you were," He was surprised at how much she knew, "With the log-pose, you'll be able to find out which island you'd want to go to. The only price of using one is that you'll need to stay at the island you landed at long enough for the log-pose to record that islands unique magnetic field. The length of time varies with each island, so the amount of time you have to stay will be diffrent," She looked at him and blushed slightly, "Uh...Sorry about that. I tend to talk a lot about things I'm interested in."

He already knew much of that information, but it surprised him that she did prompting him to ask, "Why learn all that?"

"Well it was interesting and my caretakers told me about it when saw the log-pose they had," She shrugged with a sheepish smile, "I was really interested in the places they traveled and read about those places since I wanted to leave the island,"

"Why didn't they take you?" He had to ask since it sounded like she really loved these people.

* * *

I smiled sadly as I thought about the ones that saved me and I murmured softly, "A child has no place among pirates. They would only get hurt and killed," I giggled softly as I remembered their words, "They didn't want me to get hurt on the sea and as a young zoan user the danger was so much worse, so they left me."

My thoughts went to the life I could have lived as Law asked, "Didn't they know what you faced on that island?"

"Yeah, but they found some people that didn't hate me," I sighed softly and pushed those thoughts away, "I really owe them a lot and I got to see them again when I was 14,"

"Why?" I grinned softly.

"The old man that gave me my tattooing job had been apart of their crew," I explained as I remembered seeing them, "They were dropping him off since he had decided to set up shop there. They stayed for a week, but it was nice catching up with them,"

I got lost in my memories as Law stopped asking questions.

* * *

While they were in the book store, Law decided to pick up a few books on his female crew members zoan form. He wouldn't be a good captain if Ariun got hurt in her leopard form and he couldn't help her. Once he got the books he wanted, he went to find Ariun. He found her in a section that definitely wasn't about plants. He watched her giggle softly and murmur something under her breath that vaguely sounded like a name. Chuckling, he got to see Ariun blush and fumble with the book as he drawled out, "This isn't the plant section."

"I got bored," She let out a nervous laugh.

"And your mind went to the gutter?" He asked finding her reaction to him finding her in the section amusing.

Huffing and crossing her arms over her chest, she snorted, "I was looking for some novels to pass the time. I happen to enjoy reading a good romance novel with a decent plot. The sex scenes are just a plus."

"I see," He wondered why he was stuck with a perverted crew, "And that book?"

"I've read it a few times before," She put it away before grabbing a stack of books from one of the nearby tables, "You finished?"

"Yes," He eyed the stack as he noticed that there were books about things that didn't sound like plants or trashy romance novels, "I know about the romance novels and the plants, but why get the other things?"

She shrugged as they walked over to the counter, "I like to read a variety of things-"

"Ariun," The clerk cut her off, "Snow D. Ariun?"

"Lex?" Ariun's eyes were wide, "Holy shit you got huge!"

"Eyup," The clerk's sea green eyes lit up, "Dad wanted me to become a marine, so I've been training,"

Law noticed that Ariun looked slightly uncomfortable talking to the man. Deciding to help her out, he spoke, "Ariun-ya you two know each other?"

* * *

I almost let out a sigh as Law spoke up and Lex's eyes were no longer on me. However, I frowned as Lex's eyes narrowed as he looked at Law. Why would he do that? I mean sure Law's a pirate and he want's to be a marine, but the look in his eyes was uncalled for. I answered Law deciding to hurry this up, "Yeah he used to live on the island until his Dad decided to become a Marine."

"Dad's going to be happy to see you," Lex turned his attention to me, "Why don't you come here after my shift is over and I can take you home with me. Mom'll be happy to see you as well,"

I opened my mouth to politely decline when Law spoke, "Mr. Lex was it," Lex nodded with narrowed eyes, "Ariun-ya is not going to have the time as we are on a tight scheduled."

"Who the hell are you? Her boyfriend? She can do what she wants," Lex glared at him before smiling at me, "How about it?"

"Sorry Lex, but he's right. We don't have the time," I apologized, "Mind ringing us out?"

"If you're sure," He grumbled softly.

* * *

Once we left, I offered Law a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that Law. I never expected him to be here."

"It alright," I sighed in relief as we started making our way back to the sub, "What's your relationship?"

"We were friends I guess," I shrugged slightly, "He left around five years ago and we haven't spoken since," I sighed softly, "I didn't really know him that well other than his parents being some of the few adults that didn't hate me on sight,"

"He seemed really interested in you," Law commented and I rolled my eyes.

"I went out with him on one date, but that's it," I shuddered as I remembered the disaster that had been, "Why do you even care?"

"It seems interesting," I rolled my eyes, "Did it end in disaster?"

"Yeah," I wondered how he could guess, "We had nothing in common other than the fact I liked books and his mom owned a store of them," I reached up and ran a hand through my hair, "It was awkward,"

"He still seems interested in you," Law was smirking making me want to hit him for some bizarre reason.

I rolled my eyes, "And I'm interested in plants, but you don't see me wanting to date one."

Law chuckled as we reached the sub, "Meet me out here in ten minutes, I want to get away from this island as soon as possible."

 **End**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I vaulted over the railing of the sub after putting my things away and landed with ease on the dock. Law looked at me curiously and asked, "Why jump off the sub instead of climbing off like a normal person?"

"I've always done it this way," I shrugged since it was normal for me, "As for being normal, I've never been a normal person. Even before I ate my devil fruit, I was considered an abnormality," I ran a hand through my hair, "Plus, jumping from high places is fun,"

"Aren't you worried about getting hurt?" He asked as I walked over to him and we began to head towards the marine base.

"Nope," I yawned lightly, "I've been doing it for so long things like that don't cross my mind," I looked at him, "It's all in the landing. You have to think about a lot of things when it comes to landing, but after so long it becomes subconscious,"

* * *

Chuckling, Law shook his head lightly, "You don't think about it any more?"

"Nah it's a waste of brain power that could be used for other things," He noticed her hand go out then come back holding something.

He was about to question what it was when Ariun held her hand out to him. He held out his own and was surprised to see a roll of beli in his hand. Ariun smirked at him before turning her head forward. Chuckling again, he placed the money in his pocket as he commented, "I thought you weren't a thief anymore."

She snorted as her hands went into her pockets, "Once a thief always a thief. It's one of those skills you never forget."

His eyes narrowed as he wondered if she had stolen from her fellow crew members prompting him to ask, "Have you-"

She held up a hand making him glare at her. She turned her head towards him with a glare, "Do not think to accuse me of stealing from my friends. I have a policy to never steal from my friends. The crew are my friends and I will not steal from them. Borrow yes, but steal no."

"Do not interrupt me," He growled at her and she nodded her head.

"I'll try not to," She looked at the marine base, "Where are we going to start?"

"The central building is where we'll begin our search," He replied while mentally promising himself that he would get back at her for that interruption, "What I'm looking for is in either the central building or the building beside it,"

* * *

We quickly reached the base and I let out a small whistle at how huge it was up close, "Damn. Maki must have been telling the truth."

"What do you mean?" Law asked while observing our surroundings.

"The base here is one of the main bases in the North Blue," I explained after I shook my head and berated myself for getting distracted, "I assume we're going to find a weak point in their defenses?"

"Correct," He gestured to the wall, "Can you climb up and see if there are any marine's nearby?"

Nodding, I walked over to the solid wall and crouched slightly as I formed my claws. I placed one of the tips against the wall and pressed it inwards. The wall easily gave making me snicker at how poorly this base was built. I removed the claw I had placed it in the wall and began to climb. Using my claws, I created footholds to make it easier to keep my balance. I scaled the wall with ease and carefully looked around. Seeing that the area below was behind a group of what had to be storage units, I turned my head and called down to Law, "I don't see any marine's nearby. I can't hear any either. The area in front of the wall is an alleyway behind what I'm guessing are storage units."

Law nodded and asked, "Is there boxes below you?"

I glanced downward and found a few crates, "Yeah a few crates."

"Room," I heard and gasped softly as I felt something pass over me, "How many crates?"

I counted them while trying to ignore the slight feeling of electricity clinging to me, "I've counted four under me with six on either side."

"Shambles," Law was suddenly standing below me and the crates that had stood behind me were now in the place he used to be, "Come down here,"

I pulled myself over the wall and jumped down. Air whistled around my ears as I fell towards the earth. Instead of landing on my feet, I found myself in someones arms. Law's scent surrounded me and I found my eyes locked with his grey. Surprisingly, I felt my cheeks grow warm from the unneeded action prompting me to murmur, "You didn't have to catch me."

"I felt like it," He replied with a smirk.

I opened my mouth to tell him to put me down, but the words were lost as I heard some marine's walking towards us prompting me to say, "Marine's are coming this way. I count three pairs of feet."

Law nodded and moved towards one of the openings between buildings. I concentrated on listening to those around us to make sure we weren't found.

* * *

We reached the central building without any mishaps due to my ears catching the sounds of anyone approaching. I could tell that Law was impressed even if he didn't comment. We entered the building via window on the first floor and I noticed that Law still hadn't let me go. I frowned slightly as I realized that I didn't mind the position very much, but it was time for him to let go of me, "Law you can put me down now."

Chuckling, he set me on my feet, "I was wondering when you were going to say something."

I rolled my eyes at him, "It's easier to focus on hearing people walk if I don't have to focus on moving around. Allowing you to carry me gave me the ability to concentrate on keeping us from being spotted by approaching people," I looked around and sighed slightly at seeing that it was a storage area, "Which floor are we going to?"

"The fifth floor is where we're going to start," He replied as I walked over to the door, "If it's not on that floor, we'll check the third floor before moving to the next building if it's not there,"

Nodding, I listened for nearby marines. Upon finding no one, I placed my hand on the door, "No nearby marines. We should hurry."

* * *

Law checked through all the documents and books as Ariun stood guard by the door of the office they were in. It was slightly frustrating that they hadn't found what he wanted yet and they were running out of places to check. However, the extra time searching allowed him to see some of the spotted haired woman's skills in action. She was rather stealthy and quiet which would be a boon for his future plans. She also knew how to read people's body language which allowed for entertaining commentary when she was sure no marine was close enough to hear her. Her ears were a boon as they allowed Ariun to hear if someone was approaching. A side effect that was fairly amusing was that it allowed Ariun to hear people's conversations which gave off a well of information. He chuckled softly remembering that Ariun had heard a conversation between one of the marine higher ups stationed here and their mistress. Ariun looked at him curiously and he shook his head. Nodding, she turned back to the door and closed her eyes. Another thing he found out about Ariun was that she didn't talk a lot if she was in a serious situation. All in all, he was glad to have her come along with him.

* * *

"I've found it," Law alerted Ariun making her look at him curiously.

He held up the book he had been looking for and Ariun's eyes narrowed slightly. She was about to speak when her ears twitched. Frowning, she muttered, "Marine's are close by. What do you want to do?"

He placed the book in the satchel he was carrying just for this. It settled easily among the other papers and books he had decided to steal. He answered her while wondering why she had looked at the book like that, "We'll exit the building."

She nodded as her frown disappeared, "So," A grin slipped onto her face, "Are we going to fight?"

"Yes,"

* * *

I jumped over a sword as some marine tried to cut me up and slashed their face with my dagger. They cried out and stumbled back allowing me to dart forward and plunge my dagger into their neck. Blood immediatly spurted out of the wound as I jerked my dagger across their neck and out the sound of it. Moving onto the next one, I chanced a look over at Law and snickered softly at seeing him playing around with some floating marines. I jumped back as a club headed towards me and whistled softly upon seeing stones fly up from the impact it made on the ground. The marine that had just tried to hit me pulled it out as I commented, "You're pretty strong."

"And you're fast," He spat on the ground as he placed the club on his shoulder, "You don't look like a pirate,"

"Oh I'm still new to this," I twirled my dagger in my hand, "Who are you?"

"Names Magi," He answered while eyeing my ears and tail with interest, "And yours?"

"Ariun," My tail moved to my belt and wrapped around the hilt of one of my daggers, "Snow D. Ariun,"

"That's one flexible tail you got there," He commented as my tail shot out and the dagger in it's grip flew through the air to impact a marine trying to sneak up on Law, "Why become a pirate?"

"A marine interested in why someone became a pirate?" I giggled softly as my tail wrapped around another dagger hilt, "An oddity,"

The marine chuckled and shrugged causing his mane of pink hair to fluff about, "I suppose, but you don't seem the type to become a pirate. You're a zoan user are you not?" I nodded with a large grin, "What are you doing outside of the Grandline?"

"Trying to get information?" I asked while eyeing the club, "My devil fruit washed up one day at home island, I ate it, and the people hated me for the most part," I shrugged as I raised my tail to block the sword that was being aimed at me, "Why not become a pirate?"

"You could have been a marine," He said while watching my tail disarm and kill the marine behind me.

I snorted as my tail sent the dagger in it's grip flying once more and I heard the sound of my friends close by signaling that the rest of the crew was here, "Marine's have done nothing to help while pirates saved me in the time I needed help most. Why not become a pirate?" I close my eyes for a moment before opening them again to meet the purple eyes of the pink haired marine, "Marine's preach justice, yet they do not save a little girl from being abused by a whole island just for being diffrent."

"You have an interesting view of the world," The marine commented as he raised his club.

I shrugged as my tail wrapped around the compact form of my staff, "Everyone does. For every 10 good marine, a bad one exists. For every good pirate, ten bad ones exist."

My tail twisted my staff as it moved in front of me to block the club the marine swung at me. A clang rang through the air as my staff blocked the club. The black mix of wood and metal glinted in the light as the swirled blades of my staff glinted in the light. The marine let out a loud laugh as those around us stopped moving to stare, "You must be strong if you can stop my club's swing."

"Holy shit!" Someone shouted, "She stopped Lieutenant Magi's club,"

"You're the marine lieutenant?" I asked and gained a nod, "You'll definitely be an interesting opponent," My tail flexed slightly, "I can tell I'm going to enjoy this fight immensely,"

"Agreed," He grinned at me.

With that said, I jumped backwards and the club continued its downward swing for a few moments. My tail dropped my staff into my hand before wrapping around the hilt of the dagger I had been using. I held my staff in one hand and noted that there wasn't any dents in it which was good. It wouldn't do for one of my weapons to be out of commission so easily. My tail swished behind me as I observe my opponent looking for any weaknesses. I heard Law say, "Ariun-ya you need to be fairly quick."

I gave him a nod before darting forward.

 **End.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

My first attempt to stab Magi was met with failure as he blocked it with his club. I moved back to avoid the kick he sent towards me and managed to scratch him with the tip of one of my staff's blades. Magi let out a laugh as someone muttered, "She managed to get first blood."

I offered him a fang filled grin and darted forward again. Magi moved back and sent a fist towards me. I blocked his fist with my staff and kicked at him. I hit his chest only to feet his club slam into my side. I was sent flying, but managed to keep myself from getting a rough landing by going into a roll. I stood up and was slightly relieved to note that he only managed to bruise my ribs. Realizing that my current plan wasn't going to work, I twisted my staff and returned it to it's holder. Taking a deep breath as Magi asked, "What's wrong? Realize you're in over your head?"

I snorted and popped my shoulders, "Nah. I just realized that my plan wasn't going to work. It seems that long rang isn't going to help me."

"So what're you going to do?" He asked as heat began to run across my skin.

* * *

Law and every other person in the area watched as Ariun's form blurred. In seconds, the human was gone leaving a leopard in its place. He barely got a look at it as it disappeared. Ariun's voice rang out from behind the marine lieutenant, "You'll have to be pretty fast to beat me in this form."

* * *

My claws ripped into Magi's flesh as I darted around him. I dodged his club swings and heard him chuckle, "You're faster in this form. Why is that?"

"Four legs are better for speed," I stood before him as he panted, "You feeling tired?"

"I have a feeling that it isn't because of my blood loss," He let out a small laugh, "You coated that blade of yours in a poison didn't you?"

"Correct," I sat down, "It won't be long until your body cannot move anymore. When that happens, you will fall unconscious,"

I felt someone lay their hand on my head and looked up to see Law staring down at me, "Ariun-ya it's time we leave."

* * *

Ariun had stayed in her leopard form the whole way back to the sub and followed Law as he headed to the infirmary. He chose the time to ask, "Did his club harm you?"

"My ribs are bruised from what I can tell," She said with a small yawn, "Other than that, I'm alright,"

* * *

After making sure her ribs were indeed bruised and not broken, he decided to ask the question that had been bugging him, "Why did you look at the book like that?"

Ariun sighed softly, "The scientist that experimented on me wrote that book. I'm pretty sure what he did to me is in there somewhere."

Hearing that, he could somewhat understand her reasons, "Do you mind if I read it?"

"Regardless of what I say, you'll still read it," She shook her head lightly, "I don't really mind. If anything, you could probably tell me if the bastard did anything to me that I haven't noticed yet,"

Chuckling, he nodded, "I'll do that if I find something," Ariun nodded to him, "You really do have an interesting view of the world."

"Everyone does," She shrugged lightly, "The only reason my view is interesting is because I'm not surrounded by like minded people," She shuddered suddenly with a disgusted look on her face, "I'd probably start running away as fast as possible from them or try to kill them,"

"Why?" He had to ask since her reaction was rather interesting.

"I don't want to be apart of a crowd," She answered and blushed slightly to his surprise, "I prefer being alone in someway and my view of the world is one of the ways I'm alone," She looked at him with a slightly sheepish smile, "It's in my nature I guess,"

"You like being social, but you also like being alone," He mused aloud and she nodded, "It's not abnormal though I suppose you'd equate that to being a leopard,"

"Yeah leopards are solitary beings for the most part," She let out a yawn as her stomach growled, "It okay if I head to the galley and get something to eat?"

He nodded and watch her head towards the door, "Inform those with injuries that I'm in the infirmary."

"No problem," She reached the door and began to open it before pausing, "Hey Law?"

"What is it?" He asked as he put the items he had out away.

"Thank you for allowing me to come with you today. It was nice," She left the room before he could reply.

Chuckling, he shook his head and returned to what he was doing. He had to admit that it had been nice. He also realized that he hadn't been able to get a good look at her leopard form. Making note of that in his head, he vowed to remedy that as soon as possible.

* * *

The entire crew was filled with energy as they ate dinner. Some complained that they hadn't gotten to fight while others bragged about their battles. Kuro was acting like a kid on a sugar rush from getting to actually fight while Maki was smiling as he watched our brown haired friend. I rolled my eyes as I sat down between the two and Kuro immediatly asked, "Who did you fight?"

"A couple of marines," I shrugged while ignoring the slight pain in my left side, "It was fun,"

"A couple of marines?" Shachi snorted loudly, "You fought lieutenant Magi,"

"You fought Magi?" Kuro looked at me with jealousy.

"Yeah so?" I didn't see the hype.

"Magi's about to be promoted to marine captain!" Kuro hissed looking at me like I was stupid, "Magi is the iron club of the marines,"

"Okay?" I still didn't see the problem, "It means he was tough, but I managed to beat him,"

Law spoke up making me look at him, "You didn't kill him."

I shrugged my shoulders again, "I didn't feel like killing him. He was interesting and strong."

Law gave me a raised eyebrow, "What if I ordered you to?"

I ran a hand through my hair as I thought about it before giving him my answer, "Quite honestly, I don't know if I would. Sometimes it's alright to leave your opponents alive ya know."

Law looked at me with a frown, "You would disobey an order from me?"

I nodded after taking a bite of my grilled fish, "If you gave me an order that I felt went against who I am as a person, I would disobey it," I looked Law in the eyes, "If you gave me an order to kill someone, I would do it unless I felt the need to leave them alive. You maybe my captain, but I am still my own person and not some mindless beast made to do your bidding."

"I see," Law folded his hands in front of him and looked at me for awhile, "I suppose I can deal with that,"

I nodded to him as I noticed a majority of the room was silent, "Good."

We returned to eat and everyone eventually went back to what they were doing.

* * *

It was late at night and the sub had surfaced which allowed me to head to the top deck. I took a seat on the railing and stared up at the moon. It was high in the sky which informed me that it was either midnight or just about. I sighed softly as my tail swished lightly behind me. A brisk wind blew through the air causing my hair to move with it. I closed my eyes as I heard the door open and someone walk out. I smelt Law's unique scent as he spoke, "I'm surprised that you're still up."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Sometimes I can't sleep."

"Why's that?" Law asked walking towards me, "I could help you,"

I shook my head with a slight smile, "You wouldn't be the first to try nor will you be the last," I sighed softly, "The demons of my past rear up from time to time leaving my nights sleepless."

"Nightmares?" He stood beside me, "Of what?"

"What do people often have nightmares about?" Was my reply.

Law chuckled and set his hand on the railing, "I suppose that wasn't the best question, but then again everyone's nightmares are diffrent."

"True," I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him, "What about you? What chases sleep from your grip?"

Law frowned and shook his head, "I'm an insomniac."

I shook my head with a small chuckle, "A lie if ever I heard one."

Law snorted, "Calling me a liar Ariun-ya? Do you want your punishment to be worse?"

I let out a small laugh as I suddenly remembered that he still hadn't given me said punishment, "I would be worried if I actually knew what the punishment was."

Law chuckled and shook his head, "I suppose that would make the threat weak," He sighed softly, "I do not sleep because I usually get caught up in reading medical journals."

Nodding my head, I murmured, "My nightmares vary, but last night I relived the night my mom died only my caretakers didn't show up to save me."

* * *

Law didn't comment and silence fell. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. It was nice he supposed. It wasn't often that moments of silence happened between a crew member and him. The only time it happened was either they were scared into silence or he was using Bepo as his pillow. He broke the silence after a while because he remembered the promise he made to himself in the infirmary, "Ariun-ya?"

"Yeah," She looked at him.

"Would you mind transforming into your leopard form?" He was given a raised eyebrow, "I wish to get a good look at it,"

She nodded, "Sure."

She slipped off the railing and stood beside him. Her form blurred and once more a leopard stood where she used to be. She stood as high as his knee with her head coming up to his waist. Her fur was a glossy white with black spots threaded throughout it. Her spots seemed to range between small completely black dots the size of his thumb nail to large spots the size of his palm with a white spot in the middle. The spots around her paws, legs, tail, and neck seemed more circular with a diamond shaped pattern. The spots on her face were rather small save for two. One sat in the middle of her forehead and was about the size of Ariun's human palm. It looked like a diamond with the middle of it being completely white. The other sat over her left eye. He also noted that her stomach fur was completely white save for a single spot on her chest which resembled a diamond-like heart. He moved around her and noted that her tail was rather fluffy, but still silky looking. The tip of her tail was completely black. He noted that her teeth and claws looked rather sharp which only cemented how dangerous she was. Once he finished his inspection, he placed his hand on her head murmuring, "Rather impressive if slightly small."

She let out an odd chuffing sound, "I can get bigger if I so choose, but that form is harder to sustain."

"Can you become human, but keep your animal features?" He asked allowing his curiosity to get the better of him.

"Yes, but that form is hard to sustain," She sat down and looked up at him, "I have not spent any length of time in either of those forms preferring either this one or my human one,"

"Will you stay in this form more?" He asked and she let out a hum-like purr.

"Perhaps," He realized that his hand was still on her head as he noted that her fur was rather silky and she began to purr as he scratched behind her ears.

He stopped after a few moments and she shot him an embarrassed glare. He chuckled as he noted the slight reddening of the fur around her cheek, "You don't have to look at me like that. It's only natural."

 **End**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Sit down Darlin'," Buck gestured to the seat across from him, "I want you to tell me what experience you have in cooking,"

"Don't trust the information I gave Law?" I asked as I took the offered seat.

He shook his head with an amused smile, "While I trust that the captain will give me all the information I need, I've learned over my 25 years as a chef that just because a person says they can cook don't mean shit."

I let out a small whistle, "25 years as a chef?"

He nodded with a pleased smile, "That's right Darlin'. I've been a chef since I was 15."

"That means you're 40 right?" I asked and gained a nod, "What made you want to become a chef?"

"I spent most of my younger years in a kitchen watching my mom cook," He answered with a soft smile, "When I was old enough, she started teaching me and I fell in love,"

"Why become a pirate?" I asked since it didn't quite make sense.

"I was working at a bar and the captain came in with a few of the others," The man took off his black chef's hat and ran a hand through his hair, "I was cooking their food when the owner came in and handed me a bottle tellin' me to poison Captain," His fists clenched, "He told me that if I did, I would be getting a raise and part of Captain's bounty," He scowled, "Damn filthy rat,"

"What happened?" I asked and Buck smiled, "You wouldn't be here if you had poisoned Law,"

"You're right," He chuckled softly, "I tossed that bottle into the trash and finished cooking Captain's food. I sent it out. Thirty minutes later, the owner came in and raged at me for not poisoning Captain," He grinned, "He was loud enough that everyone heard him. I shouted at him in return, tellin' him that it went against everything that made me a chef to poison one of my customers," I felt my respect for the man grow, "He fired me right then and there. I left and Captain followed me out," He shook his head lightly, "Captain asked me why I hadn't followed my boss's orders and I told him that trying to poison someone on purpose was a chefs worst shame," He sighed softly, "Captain chuckled and said that he needed a chef like me on his crew,"

"He offered you a job just like that?" I asked wondering what could have been going through Law's head at that time.

"Yep," Buck laughed with a grin, "Surprised the hell out of me, but I accepted since I didn't have any other way to survive on my home island," I gave him a curious look, "I have a bit of a short fuse when my old scars act up or someone just rubs me the wrong way. My job at that bar was my last chance,"

"What about your mom?" I asked.

Buck's grin slipped and he sighed, "My mom died in a bandit attack around the time I was 16."

"Sorry," I apologized, "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories,"

"It's fine Darlin'," He offered me a grin, "You didn't know," I offered him a sheepish smile, "Now tell me what kind of experience do you have?"

"I've worked as a baker and as a waitress," He nodded, "I've also spent time in a restaurant preparing ingredients for soups and such," I blushed slightly as I murmured, "If I try doing anything other than baking or prep work, I will most likely burn it somehow. I can burn water,"

Buck let out a laugh making my blush deepen a bit. He shook his head after a few minutes, "It's fine. I'll just have ya doing prep work and let you take over doing the desserts if you can handle it."

"I should be able to," I agreed with a smile, "So what are we going to be doing?"

* * *

Law was looking over his crews finances with a sigh and wondered how they could spend that much money on a simple one day trip. He looked up when there was a knock on his door and called out, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Ariun carrying in a tray with his usual coffee cup and some snacks, "Buck sent me up with this stuff since he figured you'd need it."

"Set it here," He moved some of the papers out of the way and she set the tray down.

"What are you doing?" She asked looking at the papers curiously.

"The crews finances," He reached for his coffee cup, "Honestly I can't figure out how they can spend that much money on a single island in a single day,"

"Mind if I check it out?" Ariun asked looking at him with a slight frown.

Feeling curious, he handed her the papers, "Sure why not."

She immediatly began looking through them and hummed softly. He watched her as she took a seat in the chair across from him. He took a sip out of his coffee cup and reached for one of the small snacks. She spoke after a few minutes, "There's a bit of a discrepancy here," She stood up and laid the papers down in front of him before pointing at something, "The numbers aren't adding up."

He looked at the numbers and went through the calculations before realizing she was right, "You're right."

"Who did the food shopping?" Ariun asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Buck sent Shachi and Penguin to do the shopping," Law answered while wondering what the two could have possibly spent that much money on, "He and the other two chefs were doing an inventory check,"

Ariun hummed softly, "It looks like those two are planning something and the cooks are involved."

"Why's that?" Law wondered what was going through the spotted haired woman's mind.

"Why were they doing an inventory check?" She asked making his eyes widen slightly, "They should have done one before they sent someone out shopping," She shook her head, "I can't really think of anything they would be doing, but then again, I haven't known them that long," She picked up her tray and began to leave the room, "I have to go help make dinner. Have a nice afternoon Law,"

* * *

I looked up from my sketch book upon hearing the door open and found Shachi poking his head in. I gave him a raised eyebrow and he grinned, "Hey Ariun."

"Shachi," I greeted him.

"Can you help Pen and me?" He asked and gained a raised eyebrow.

"With what?" The scent of something sweet was hitting my nose.

"Hiding something," My eyes narrowed.

"Hiding what?" Shachi grinned sheepishly and moved further into the room.

Penguin followed after him and the two were carrying what could only be called party supplies. I stared at them and Penguin asked, "So mind helping us hide this stuff?"

"Why should I?" I frowned at the two, "Why do you need to hide that stuff?"

"Captain would kill us if he found us holding this stuff," Shachi explained making me give him a raised eyebrow, "His birthdays in a few days and we'll be taking a break before Reverse Mountain, so we wanted to throw him a party!"

"And why would he kill you?" The two were rather nervous.

"Captain doesn't like celebrating his birthday," Penguin explained, "But we wanted to celebrate it because it'll be his first as captain of the crew,"

I frowned at the two and debated what to do before shaking my head, "No. I will not hide that stuff."

"Why not?!" Both stared at me with misery on their faces.

"If Law doesn't want to celebrate his birthday, do not make him," I turned back to my sketchbook before sighing softly, "Kuro probably wouldn't mind hiding that stuff,"

I heard them leave and sighed again. Shutting my sketchbook, I checked to see if we were submerged. Upon finding that we were on the surface, I got off my bed and walked out of my room.

* * *

Law walked out on to the top deck and found Ariun in the same position as the night before. He walked over to her and asked, "Why are you out here?"

"I felt like enjoying the night air and it helps clear my mind," She replied with her eyes locked on the moon.

He wondered what could be bothering her since she had seemed rather happy most of the day, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," She shook her head lightly, "Just something reminding me of parts of my past,"

He frowned as he asked, "What happened?"

She was quiet and continued to stare at the moon. He wondered if she would answer him as the minutes passed. After a while, he thought that she wouldn't, but she chose that moment to speak, "Shachi and Penguin wish to celebrate your birthday."

He grimaced upon hearing that, "I told them that I didn't want to."

He began to plan their punishments when she spoke again, "The only reason they're doing it is because it'll be your first birthday as captain."

"I'm going to punish them, but I suppose I could allow them to celebrate," He knew that the dangers ahead would make such things almost impossible.

Ariun nodded with a frown, "Is it because the Grandline is ahead of us and we won't have time for partying?"

"Correct," He wondered how she had guessed, "How'd you know?"

"My caretakers often spoke of how difficult the Grandline was and the book's I've read only cemented that fact," She replied with a small sigh, "It's the only logical reason I could come up with,"

He nodded seeing her point, "So why did that remind you of your past?"

"I haven't celebrated my birthday since my mother was alive," She spoke in a voice so soft he could barely hear her, "It's not because people haven't wanted to, but because I just never saw the point,"

"Without family birthdays become meaningless," He murmured feeling a strange sort of kinship with Ariun.

She nodded and silence reined around them. He became lost in his thoughts and memories of birthdays spent with his family. Pain welled up in his heart. Clenching his teeth and hands, he pushed it down. He was surprised when Ariun spoke, "Kuro will most likely attempt to throw me a party on my birthday. He tries every year."

"Shachi and Penguin gave him the party supplies didn't they?" He asked to which she nodded.

"I told them that he would be willing to hide them," She admitted with a slightly sheepish smile.

He chuckled softly, "Why would you do that?"

"I felt like it," She looked at him, "You're not mad are you?"

"Not really," He admitted with a smirk, "You seem like the type to do that,"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yeah right."

Silence settled between them once more.

* * *

I stretched out with a yawn as I heard, "Ariun-ya what are you doing?"

I looked at Law to see him walking out onto the main deck with Bepo. I yawned again as I answered him, "Buck and the others didn't need my help, so I thought I would come out here for awhile," I offered him a curious look as I waved at Bepo who beamed at me, "What about you?"

"I decided to try and take a nap since the weather is nice," He replied walking over near the railings, "What are you going to be doing?"

"Taking a bit of a nap as well," I admitted with a slight grin, "Sun myself mostly,"

I yawned again as I transformed into my leopard form and stretched. Law chuckled slightly as Bepo walked over to him and laid down. Law sat down and leaned back against Bepo as the bear almost immediatly fell asleep. Snorting slightly at the sight, I laid down as Law asked, "What?"

"You abuse his willingness to help you," I laid my head on my legs as my tail swished behind me lazily, "What did you do to become so close to him?"

"We've been friends for over two years," Law replied with a small shrug, "I saved him from a laboratory that was experimenting on him,"

I offered the polar bear a look of understand before yawning and closing my eyes. As I fell asleep, I murmured, "You're a good man Law. I'm happy that I've become a member of your crew."

 **End**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Ariun's tail swished behind her as she walked into his office. A small smile on her lips as she said, "The guys are setting up down in the galley."

He snorted softly, "They readily assume that I'm not going to head down there."

Ariun let out a soft laugh as she set the tray she was carrying down, "From what I've noticed, they actually had a chance of you not finding out until dinner."

"Why's that?" He felt slightly amused and annoyed.

"You stick to the same schedule," She explained as he picked up the coffee cup on the tray, "You're usually either in here or in your room unless you feel inclined to take a nap," He frowned as he realized that she was right, "The only times you differ is when we're getting close to an island, we're on an island, someone's injured, someone needs some kind of medical help for whatever reason, you need to speak to the navigators for some reason, or you're experimenting on something in your lab,"

The list while true made him wonder how the hell she knew, "How did you-"

"Shachi and the others told me," She shrugged her shoulders, "I asked them why they were so sure you wouldn't find out about the party,"

He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "I wish they would have followed my wishes."

Ariun asked a question that brought a smile to his face, "Would they be your crew if they did that all the time?"

He chuckled and had to agree with her. He took a sip of his coffee before asking, "Why did you tell on them?"

Ariun shrugged her shoulders as she took the tray off his desk once he picked what he wanted from it, "I just felt like it and I felt that you needed to know."

"And if you had felt that I didn't need to know?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't have told you," She shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room, "Sometimes some information is best left unknown,"

She left the room with him staring after her. Another oddly wise thing for her to say. He shook it off and went back to the medical journal he had been looking at. He chalked it up to another interesting thing about her.

* * *

I leaned against the wall as everyone partied around me. I smiled faintly as I saw them enjoy themselves. I didn't twitch as Law spoke from next to me, "You seem amused."

"They're acting like idiots," I replied with a small giggle, "I suppose they're doing it because you aren't going to kill them, but still this amount of giddiness is rather..."

I trailed off and shook my head as Law finished my thought process, "Amusing."

I nodded my head and glanced at him. He had his regular smirk on his face, but fondness seemed to line his face. The darkness in those interesting eyes seemed to diminish. My smile widened slightly as I raised the cup in my hand to my lips and took a sip only to frown at it. Law seemed to notice and offered me a raised eyebrow. I placed my cup down on the table next to me as I answered his unasked question, "I dislike certain types of alcohol and bitter ale is one of them."

Law chuckled softly, "I suppose not everyone likes bitter things."

I shook my head lightly, "I prefer my things on the sweet side, but I do like bitter things sometimes."

"Oh?" He looked at me in amusement.

"That dear Captain is for me to know and for you to not," I murmured with a slightly wide grin making him chuckle.

Before he could speak, Maki came up and grabbed my hand, "Dance with me?"

I rolled my eyes, but allow him to pull me with him.

* * *

An hour passed and I noticed Law leaving. Wondering aloud, I asked, "Where is he going?"

"Captain doesn't really like parties," Shachi said after he downed another beer, "He usually leaves within an hour of being at a party,"

I nodded my head and put it out of my mind as I drank another cup of rum.

* * *

Law looked up as Ariun walked out onto the top deck, "What are you doing out here?"

"Too loud," She was carrying two cups, "I also thought you could use some company," She held out one of them, "Drink?"

He took it and noticed that it was rum. He took a sip of it as she walked over and sat down on the ground, "Why are you sitting down there?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "While my balance is pretty good at the moment, I don't want to take a chance that could result in me getting injured."

Hearing that logic, he nodded and took a seat next to her. He leaned back against the railing while saying, "Your bounty poster should show up soon."

"I suppose so," She shrugged her shoulders.

"You're not eager for it?" He asked after drinking some more of his rum.

"I don't really think it'll affect me," She replied after taking a sip of her drink, "I guess it'll be nice since it'll tell my caretakers that I'm alive and well,"

"Do you think they're still an active pirate crew?" He wondered aloud.

She nodded her head with a small laugh, "I'd think the world government would throw a world wide celebration if they were no longer pirates."

That immediatly caught his attention, he wondered just who the hell were these people prompting him to ask, "Who are your caretakers?"

She merely smiled mischievously at him, "Again that's for me to know and for you to find out dear captain."

He felt slightly frustrated at the not answer, but decided to let it be for now. It wasn't like finding out who they were would make any difference in his future plans. Ariun finished her drink and set the cup beside her before turning her back to him. She laid down with her head near his thighs and stared up at the stars. He stared at her in surprise for a few moments before asking, "What are you doing?"

"Looking at the stars," She replied with a soft smile.

"Why?" He frowned since there really didn't seem to be a point in doing that.

"I haven't had the chance to do this in awhile," She replied in a soft tone, "I thought it'd be nice to do since the sky's really clear,"

"I suppose," It seemed that she could be slightly childish.

He was surprised when she asked, "Are you going to star gaze with me?"

"Why would I?" The thought was so bizarre that he had to repeat the question in his head twice before understanding what she was asking.

She giggled and turned her head to look at him, "Because it's relaxing and you seem like you need to relax a bit."

"If I wanted to relax, I would go and read a book," He replied with a snort.

"Reading is good for relaxing," She agreed with a shrug, "But star gazing allows your mind to rest. It's one of the things I do that allows me to sleep,"

He rolled his eyes and was about to tell her no, but the look in her eyes stopped him. It reminded him of the day back when she first joined the crew. Only this time, the kitten wasn't taking it's first steps, but rather, the kitten was sharing it's favorite thing in the world with another. Deciding to blame it on the alcohol, he moved forward and placed his cup down before laying down beside her. He placed his hands behind his head causing his hat to be pushed up a little. He finally spoke, "What now?"

"Look up at the stars," She giggled softly and raised her hand to gesture at them, "It's all you need to do,"

* * *

Hours later, he sat up as Ariun fell silent. The woman had been telling him stories about the constellations in the sky since she had admitted that she liked learning about myths and legends. He glanced down at her and found her eyes closed. He realized that she had fallen asleep prompting him to chuckle. He reached to his side and picked up his hat where he had laid it earlier. Placing it on his head, he stood up and looked down at her. He debated waking her up before deciding to let her sleep. He bent down and carefully picked her up before heading inside. He noticed with a bit of shock that she felt rather light in his arms. He carefully closed the door behind them and walked towards Ariun's room. As he walked, Ariun curled up closer to him and shifted until her head was on his shoulder. She let out a sleepy murmur of confusion that had him chuckling softly. He noticed as he walked down the steps that she smelled faintly of some type of flower, but couldn't pin down which. Whatever it was, he decided that it smelled fairly good. He reached Ariun's room and carefully opened the door so as to not wake her up. He walked inside and immediatly noticed that it was fairly neat with a few books laying around. He set her down on her bed and she immediatly curled up into a ball. Her tail and ears appeared to his slight surprise. He shook his head and turned to walk over to the door when he felt something soft wrap around his wrist. He looked down to see that it was her tail. He looked up and saw a pair of sleepy yellow eyes staring at him. He stared back for a few moments before saying, "Let go."

Ariun's tail tightened and tugged on his wrist. He reached down to make her release him only to find that her tail was wrapped too tightly. He pulled only for her to growl at him. With slightly narrowed eyes, he moved forward and the tail's grip slackened. When he moved back, it tightened once more. With a deep sigh and feeling too tired to really deal with this, he moved until he was at her bed side. He sat down on her bed and her tail released his wrist only to curl around his waist. Ariun's form pressed up against his and she purred softly as she rubbed her head against his chin. Finding some humor in this situation, he chuckled as she murmured, "Sleep."

She laid down and tugged at his waist. Deciding to tease the woman about this tomorrow, he laid down beside her. She curled up at his side and closed her eyes. He decided that he would end up punishing her as soon as possible and added this to reasons as to why. The only question is how to punish her.

* * *

I yawned as I came too and noticed that it was warmer than normal in my room. Deciding to sleep a bit longer, I cuddled closer to the source of the warmth. I froze as I heard a sleepy murmur and felt an arm tighten around my waist. I tried to figure out what happened last night only to come up empty since all I remember doing was falling asleep in the middle of telling Law some story. Wondering what the hell was going on, I opened my eyes and was met with the familiar scene of my ceiling. Frowning, I turned my head only to stop as I found myself face to chest with Law. His scent floated around me and god damn what a nice smell to wake up to. Shoving that thought down, I looked down to see that both of us were in our clothes from yesterday meaning that certain things hadn't happened. It was at that moment that I zeroed in on a familiar tail and what it was wrapped around. Realizing what happened, I mentally cursed myself for drinking more than I should have. I was happy to note that my head wasn't hurting which meant no hangover. I did a small mental happy dance at that only to stop when I felt Law move. Hearing his breathing change, I realized that he was about to wake up. Well shit this was going to be a fun morning.

 **End**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I was mentally panicking about what Law was going to do when he let out a yawn. I swallowed nervously as I watched his eyes open. For a second, they seemed to hold confusion before they looked down. My eyes met his and there was stillness. Neither of us moved and time seemed to slow. I bit my lip as I tried to figure out what to say when I was suddenly pinned under Law with both my hands held over my head. He stared down at me with dark amusement in his eyes. I laid under him in shock even as my world seemed to become filled with heat. Law smirked at me and asked, "Ariun-ya are you aware that you act very cat-like and cuddly when you're half-asleep and slightly drunk?"

I bit my lip again as I mentally cursed my stupid devil fruit. God damn it stupid drunken cats. My thought process stopped when a pair of fingers touched my lips and pulled my bottom lip from between my teeth. The only thing that came out of my mouth was a, "Uh..."

"Are you aware of that fact Ariun-ya?" He repeated making me nod with a slightly red face, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"N-never thought that it would come up," I stuttered at the beginning making me want to smack myself.

He chuckled as his eyes roved over my face, "It seems that you were wrong."

"Er...yeah," Damn he was so warm, "Why are you so warm?"

Stupid brain don't focus on useless information no matter how much I wanted to know. Law seemed surprised by the question before chuckling as his body moved a bit, "My body temperature is a bit higher than normal due to my devil fruit. Yours seems to be a bit lower than normal."

So we're going to ignore the situation at the moment. Perfect except for the specific fact of him being on top of me. Why the hell am I having a normal conversation with him in this position? I wondered briefly if I had finally gone insane at some point when I felt a finger trail up my cheek. I grabbed the hand it was attached to after tugging one of my hands free from his grip. I blushed once again as I murmured, "Please do not do that."

"Why?" He moved his hand up and suddenly both of mine were in his grip once more.

* * *

He watched Ariun's eyes widen as he easily held both her wrists down above her head. The sight caused him to chuckle even as he took one of his hands away. He moved it back to her cheek and lightly ran his thumb along it. To his surprise, he finds a few very small and very faint grooves that seemed to cut into her cheek. As his fingers brushed against him, Ariun stiffens under him before she let out a low rumbling purr. Her eyes become unfocused and she shuddered as he put a little more pressure on his finger as he ran it against the groove. He was surprised when Ariun murmured, "Fuck."

It was a little odd to hear her curse, but it was amusing given the situation. He leaned down to get a closer look at the grooves and murmurs, "Like whisker scars."

Ariun murmured something under her breath that he barely caught, "Of course he finds them."

He chuckled as he noticed her eyes seem to regain their focus and they settled on his own. They widened upon seeing how close his face was to hers. Chuckling softly, he asked, "Does this bother you?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. He chuckled as his eyes went to her lips. Her tongue darted out to run across them making them glisten slightly in the light. He contemplated what to do before the question that had run through his mind that day in the office came back. Would she slap him after the shock of him kissing her wore off? Would she blush and try to pull away? Would she kiss him back? The thoughts swirled through his mind once more and he smirked as he realized that no crew member would be interrupting him this time. He felt Ariun shiver under him as his fingers once again ran over her whisker like scars and felt her brush against him.

* * *

The blush on my face doubled when Law hissed. Law eyes locked with my own before he suddenly leaned down. I felt his warm breath against my lips just as a knock echoed on my door and Maki called out, "Ariun are you up yet?"

I turned my face away from Law and called out, "Yeah."

"Good," Maki sighed softly, "I didn't know if you were in here or not since everyone save for the Captain slept in the galley,"

"Really?" He sounded slightly frustrated.

"Yeah do you happen to know where Captain is?" Maki asked and I felt Law's breath against my ear.

"Tell him you don't," Law ordered causing me to shiver.

"No," My heart twisted slightly for lying to Maki.

"I guess I'll check his room," Maki sighed softly, "Buck wanted me to tell you that breakfast was going to be a bit late. Do you have a hangover?"

"No," I was once again felt like dancing.

"Good," Maki walked away and I felt slightly relieved.

I was relieved because Maki was one to keep things short unless he thought you were either in trouble or hurt. My relief fled as I turned my head and found my eyes locked with Law's once more. I bit my lip as I wondered what was about to happen and felt his fingers leave my face only to pull my bottom lip from between my teeth. His fingers trailed across my lip once before returning to my cheek. I decided to try and get out of this situation, "You know he's looking for you right?"

"Yes," Law's eyes held amusement.

"Aren't you going to see what he wants?" I pressed onward.

"Soon," His fingers trail across my cheek making me shudder as pleasure ran down my spine, "So sensitive," He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my cheek, "Why is that?"

I shivered as they brushed across the sensitive skin and murmured, "T-they're my whiskers."

He chuckled softly and leaned back a little as his hands released mine. He propped himself up using his elbows and stared down at me. My blush lessened a bit as he peered down at me, "They look like scars."

I nodded my head slightly, "That's because they are," He looked at me in confusion prompting me to sigh as memories of my past burned through my mind, "The people that killed my mother decided to play follow the line," I pushed down the memories as best I could even as phantom pain ran across the areas where the whiskers were, "They cut alongside my whiskers and then pressed the whiskers into the wounds as deeply as possible," I closed my eyes as the memory played through my mind, "The doctor my caretakers had couldn't remove them because of how deeply they were buried without causing me to scar badly."

My eyes opened when I felt his thumbs under my eyes and looked at them as they moved away. I caught sight of something glistening on them and reached up to feel wetness. I had been crying. I frowned slightly since I was over what happened. I had thought all my tears had died a long time ago. Law speaking tore me from my thoughts, "I can remove them from your cheeks if you wish."

I shook my head after thinking about it, "No they've been like that for most of my life and I've gotten used to them," I smiled up at him as I pointed out, "You have the tattoo's on your fingers and I have my whiskers."

Law chuckled as his eyes glowed with amusement, "True."

My stomach chose that moment to growl causing me to blush. Law chuckled again prompting me to glare at him, "Can you please get off me? I want to go see if breakfast is ready yet."

He snorted and shook his head, "It probably isn't."

"So I could use the time before to shower," I pointed out.

He seemed to consider it before saying, "I would, but it seems you don't want me to."

I looked at him in confusion before feeling my tail move. Realizing that I had yet to let go of him, I removed my tail and smirked at him, "Looks like I've let you go. Please get off."

Law chuckled before pressing his body against mine once more, "I don't think I will. You're rather comfortable."

My blush returned full force as I felt him brush against me. I decided to use my actual strength and pushed him off of me before leaving my bed. He looked at me in slight surprise and I realized that I had caught him off guard. I probably couldn't have done that if I hadn't. My tail swished behind me as I said, "Maki is looking for you and I believe it is important."

I turned away from him and walked over to my dresser while hoping he just leaves. I heard him move and sighed softly in relief. I was surprised when I felt arms around my waist and Law's breath against my still transformed ears, "How would you know if it's something important?"

I was slightly caught off guard, but pushed it down as I tried to ignore how warm he felt, "Maki sounded frustrated which means something happened."

"You sound so sure," I suppressed a shiver.

"That's because I know my best friend," I replied and felt more than heard him chuckle.

* * *

He couldn't stop himself from chuckling at how sure she sounded though loath as he is to admit it, she was probably right. His crew were not very smart when it came to parties and often acted as reckless hormonal teens when drunk. Someone had probably had broken something. The woes of being both the captain and doctor of such a crew. He sighed under his breath and felt her shudder against him. Biting back a hiss from the contact, he removed his arms and moved away from her. Being in close contact with a female so early in the morning and just after waking up was a bad idea, he decided as he realized just how hard he was at the moment. He turned and began to leave her room as he commented dryly, "I suppose I should go see how idiotic my crew decided to be this time."

Ariun giggled and he assumed she found some form of amusement in his tone. Her comment as he reached the door to her room caused him to chuckle, "You sound like this isn't the first time they've done something stupid."

He turned his head as he opened the door, "Ariun-ya you've met them and saw how they acted last night. Do you really believe they wouldn't do something stupid?"

Ariun hummed and shrugged her shoulders as her tail swished behind her, "True. My bet is someone broke an arm," She tapped her chin with a slight grin, "Maybe they played drunk truth or dare, people always end up with either a new tattoo or some kind of piercing."

"And you would know that?" He gave her a raised eyebrow and she huffed at him.

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to her dresser and opened it, "The idiots that came into the tattoo parlor during my late night shifts were always drunk. They either wanted a tattoo of some embarrassingly stupid thing or a tattoo all because their drunk buddies dared them to do it," She giggled softly, "They ended up paying more money for it cause my former boss was such a stupid miser."

Law chuckled and left her room. As much as he would like to continue the conversation, he needed to take a cold shower and find out which idiot did something stupid this time. He frowned at the cold shower part. He was going to add that to the reason for her punishment. Come to think of it, what should he do to punish her?

 **End**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

The waves crashed against the walls of the sub and I fought every instinct that was screaming at me to run. Fingers curled around my wrist and I found myself staring into grey eyes. Law's voice somehow pierced through the sound of waves, "Ariun-ya calm down."

"I can't," I shivered violently as the sub rocked.

I was surprised to find myself pressed up against Law's body and found my face being pressed into his neck. His scent waved around me and I felt myself being to calm. Law spoke softly, "It'll be over soon. We've made it halfway up the mountain."

"Why couldn't you choose another way?" I asked feeling ashamed of myself for freezing up like that.

"It would have taken too long," He replied and moved back a little to eye me, "Will you be alright?"

I opened my mouth to tell him yes when a particularly harsh wave slammed into the metal hull. A low yowl left me as I was almost sent crashing to the floor. Law was the only thing keeping me on my feet and he knew it. Images of a dank and dark cage ran through my mind. I barely kept myself from transforming into my leopard form to get away from it. Bepo's voice came through from the speakers, "We'll be reaching the top of Reverse Mountain in a few moments."

Law fingers dug into my arms and he quickly pulled me through the hallway. I focused on him as I tried to push those memories away and keep myself from transforming. Law opened a door and pulled me inside before closing it. I was immediatly assaulted by how thick his scent was.

* * *

Law pushed Ariun onto his bed and sat down next to her. He mentally cursed himself for not paying much attention to the spotted haired woman this morning. He knew she had been agitated, but brushed it off because of what happened when they woke up. Ariun pressing herself into his side tore him from his thoughts making him look down at her. She had her face pressed against his shoulder and he could feel her shiver each time a wave hit the metal walls of the sub. He reached down and cupped her cheek forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were practically glowing yellow and her pupil's were just pinpricks from the amount of fear coursing through her. She was close to having a panic attack. He spoke calmly while feeling immensely grateful for the having his room soundproofed, "Ariun take a deep breath," She did as he told her after a few moments, "Everything will be fine. We're going to make it over the mountain and we'll be in the Grandline," She was calming, but he could tell it wasn't enough, "Tell me what you want to see most when we get there?"

"A," She began swallowing slightly, "A-a s-spring island i-in f-full b-bloom,"

"Anything else?" He asked.

She opened her mouth to speak when Bepo shouted, "We've reached the top! BRACE YOURSELVES!"

Ariun tried to bury her face into his shoulder, but he held her firmly, "Ariun focus on me. What else do you want to see in the Grandline?"

"I-i w-want to s-see m-my caretakers," She answered him.

He felt the slightly weightless suddenly. He laid back and held Ariun against him. Ariun squeaked, but quickly relaxed. He lifted moved his fingers to her neck and felt her pulse. It was slowly calming making him sigh softly.

* * *

Bepo's voice came out of the voice pipe, "We're heading down the mountain now. Is everyone okay?"

Answers were called out and I felt a sense of relief settle over me. Thank god everyone's okay. I breathed out a soft sigh of relief and murmur, "Thank god."

I heard Law chuckle and felt the brush of his fingers against my chin. I realized that he was still holding me making my cheeks heat. I attempted to get up only for him to hold me tighter. I looked up at him and he smirked down at me though the honest concern in his eyes surprised me, "Are you alright now?"

"Yeah," He closed his eyes for a moment, "Shouldn't we go and check on everyone?"

"You just wish to check on Maki and Kuro," Law's eyes opened halfway.

"No I wanna see if everyones alright," I retorted, "I've been around them long enough to start to care about them. Of course, I mostly care about Bepo, Shachi, Penguin, and Buck since I've spent more time with them,"

"You haven't spent much time with Bepo," Law pointed out making me snort.

"He's a cute polar bear," I moved to sit up and his arms settle on my waist as I stared down at him, "Of course I care about him. Who wouldn't?"

Law chuckled as he too sat up and I was once again struck by how warm he was. It made me want to curl up against him and stay there. I ignored the urge and began to stand only for Law to keep me seated against him. He placed his head on my shoulder and said, "You just had a panic attack. You shouldn't be walking around."

"I feel fine," Law snorted and I knew immediatly that he knew I had just lied.

"You don't have the strength to break away from me," He retorted prompting me to open my mouth to argue, "I'm not even using my full strength to hold you against me. Your body is still shaking and you're very pale,"

I turned my head to glare at him and he smirked at me. I decided to point out, "You do realize I need to get to my room right?"

"Until I feel that you're fully over it, you'll be with me," Law pushed me off of him and stood up.

I opened my mouth to protest only to yelp as he picked me up. My arms wrapped around his neck automatically and he chuckled as he made his way to the door. I growled at him, "Put me down."

"No," I hissed as I felt something pinch my ass, "And do not order me around,"

* * *

"Ariun-chan!" Shachi shouted as he saw Law carrying her.

"Captain is she alright?" Penguin asked making Law smirk.

"I'm fine," Ariun twisted slightly from where her head was settled in the crook of his neck making him feel a small amount of relief over no longer feeling her breath against his neck.

"She had a panic attack and is still very shaky," Law corrected making her glare at him.

The two nodded and offered Ariun a worried look. Shachi spoke as the two made their way over, "How you feeling?"

"I'm fine," She huffed with a roll of her eyes, "Honestly. I feel perfectly fine and can walk on my own two feet,"

Law was severely amused when Penguin snorted, "Yeah right. Ariun-chan Captain wouldn't be carrying you around if you were fine. He knows what he's doing."

Ariun glared at him and hissed, "Traitor."

Penguin looked at her in amusement rather than sadness allowing Law to see that they've grown rather close. Like siblings if what he saw was correct. Shachi nodded his head along to what Penguin said, "Listen to Pen, Ari-chan."

"Ari-chan?" Ariun was no longer glaring and looked at Shachi in surprise.

"Yeah Ari-chan," Penguin nodded making the leopard zoan user look at him, "We figured that both Ariun and Storm are a bit long, so we made up another nickname," Shachi grinned as Penguin asked, "Do you like it?"

Ariun hummed before nodding, "Yeah. It makes me feel like I'm really one of you guys."

"Good!" The two brightened even more, "We'll tell the others,"

Ariun smiled at them as Law spoke up feeling faintly amused at the trio's conversation, "Was anything damaged?"

"Not that we know of, but we'll have to stop at a nearby island to make sure," Shachi answered ever the spokesmen for the two.

"I'll inform Bepo and the other navigators," Law looked the two over, "Was anyone hurt?"

"We got knocked around a bit, but I don't think so," Law nodded his head.

"Send a message through the voice pipes that if someones hurt, they must immediatly go to the infirmary," Law ordered and gained two nods.

Law began to walk away only to stop as Ariun asked, "Have you two seen Maki and Kuro?"

"Yeah they're fine. I think they went to find you," Shachi offered making the spotted haired woman nod, "Last I saw, they were heading towards the crew's bedrooms,"

"Thanks Shachi," Law began to walk away.

Ariun laid her head on his shoulder again and sighed softly. He was surprised that she was acting so relaxed considering the fact she hadn't stopped wiggling around since he picked her up. He walked down the stairs as he asked, "Ariun-ya?"

"Yeah?" Her voice was fairly soft.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked wondering if he should have left her in his room.

"Sleepy," She murmured making him nod.

"Understandable," He reached the second floor and walked down the halls, "Panic attacks are often fairly tiring,"

He felt her breath against his neck and how even it was making him realize that she had fallen asleep.

* * *

"Storm!" Kuro shouted as soon as the door opened only to frown as Law walked in, "Captain is Storm alright?"

"She had a panic attack," Law replied as he walked over to where the two were sitting on Ariun's bed, "What are you two doing in here?"

"We figured she would be hiding in here," Maki answered while standing up to take Ariun from him, "I'm surprised she's sleeping,"

"She doesn't normally?" Law questioned as he gave the silver haired man the spotted haired woman.

Kuro shook his head as he answered, "No Storm barely ever falls asleep after a panic attack. In fact, she usually stays up for a few days afterwards."

Maki settled her against the bed as Kuro stood up to make room. As soon as Ariun had been set down, the two reclaimed their seats. Law eyed the two curiously as he watched Maki pick up her head to lay it in his lap. The silver haired male immediatly began carding his fingers through her hair which caused her face to ease. Kuro picked up her legs and set them on his lap before grabbing her tail. He began to do the same which made Ariun relax further. Taking that in, he asked, "What are you two doing?"

"It's one of the ways to get her to truly calm down and relax," Maki answered looking at him, "If she is ever really panicked, you need to either do this or talk to her in a steady voice. It'll calm her down though I recommend this method since it's the fastest one,"

"Plus, she usually goes into a deeper sleep," Kuro added with a slight grin, "She'll probably be asleep for the rest of today until tomorrow morning,"

"It's around one," Law pointed out wondering how the spotted haired woman could sleep that long.

"So?" Kuro asked with a raised eyebrow, "What's that got to do with anything-OW!"

Kuro glared at Maki whose hand returned to carding through Ariun's long spotted locks, "Kuro he doesn't know a lot about Storm," Maki looked at Law, "Storm can sleep for as long as 18 hours without any trouble if she sleeps deeply enough. Us doing this will put her into a slightly deep sleep which will allow her to sleep until tomorrow which is the safest thing to do after a panic attack."

Law frowned upon hearing that, "How is it that she's able to sleep for 18 hours?"

"I believe that it's due to her zoan form," Maki ran a hand through his hair, "I've never really figured it out, but perhaps the transformations influence the user more than we are aware,"

Law disliked not having a real answer, but he had to return to his duties as captain. Nodding to the two, he turned to leave the room. He walked over to the door and opened it before calling over his shoulder, "You two are going to watch over Ariun-ya. If there is a problem, bring her to the infirmary so that I can fix it."

He left before either could argue.

 **End**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law stared down at the book in his hands with some disgust. He had known that the author had been somewhat insane and a crappy excuse for a human, but this? Fuck it made some of what he had seen that bastard Doflamingo do look humane. Even the sadist in him was balking at some of what this man did. The pages he had just read had forced him to see that there were worse humans out there than Doflamingo and that one of his crew members had been taken by that man. He sighed deeply and turned to the next page only to freeze upon reading the name of his crew member. It would seem he was about to find out what exactly had happened to her while in the authors clutches.

* * *

My nose twitched as I caught the scent of something particularly nasty. I paused in my steps towards the kitchen and turned my head to look at the crewmember that was cleaning up the galley for lunch, "What the hell is that smell?"

"Buck decided to make some of the popular dishes from his home island," The man answered with a slight grimace.

"Dear god," I groaned as I covered my nose, "Please tell me that I'll be able to eat something else,"

The man nodded to my relief and I continued to walk towards the kitchen. Buck beamed when I entered and gestured to the pot beside him, "Ariun-chan! Want to try some of my gumbo?"

"What's in it?" I asked with a small grimace.

"Quite a bit," He replied with his grin stretched across his face, "I've made it spicy too,"

"Sorry, but I won't be able to eat that," Buck's face fell, "I can't stomach spicy food very well,"

"Oh," He looked depressed.

I offered him a sad look, "I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," He sighed before gesturing to where some vegetables were laid out, "I need you to cut those up while I figure out what to cook for you,"

"Any type of fish would do," He chuckled at hearing that.

"So fish for you and Bepo," He shook his head, "What is it with cat's, bears, and fish?"

* * *

Law walked out onto the top deck and found Ariun star gazing. A smile came to his face despite what he had read. Ariun spoke before he could, "You didn't eat dinner with us," She turned her head towards him, "Why not?"

He was surprised to see concern in her eyes, but brushed it off as he sat down next to her laid out form. Ariun looked up at him curiously and he sighed as he answered her question, "I was reading that book."

"The book you stole from the marines?" She asked before frowning when he nodded, "What's wrong?"

"The scientist that wrote it shouldn't be called human," Law muttered.

Ariun snickered to his surprise. She saw his surprise and smiled up at him, "I think anyone that came into contact with him would think that as well. You aren't the first to say that and I honestly doubt you'll be the last."

Law shook his head in slight amusement before asking, "How are you feeling?"

Ariun hummed softly in reply, "Pretty good considering the fact I had a massive panic attack yesterday," She looked at him, "What about you?"

"Asking about me? Concerned?" He asked teasingly wanting to get the topic of conversation away from that deranged scientist.

Ariun rolled her eyes as she propped herself up on her elbows, "Believe it or not. I do care about you."

"Really?" He asked somewhat surprised.

"Really," She murmured looking at him with amusement, "You've become someone I am somewhat willing to trust," She smirked at his shocked expression, "You're a good Captain and someone that I've found I respect," She closed her eyes for a few moments, "It's honestly surprising that I'm coming to trust you in the two almost three weeks we've known each other," She opened her eyes and laid back against the worn wood of the top deck, "Because of that, I've come to care about you and see you as a friend," She turned her head and locked eyes with him, "Please do not make me regret giving you this trust,"

Law felt the breath in his chest still at the sincerity in her eyes. He realized with some shock that she had let down her guard just a bit. After what he had read in the book, he was shocked that she would be willing to trust anyone, yet here she was giving him some of that trust. It was mind boggling, but it caused something warm to stir in his chest. He smiled at her and nodded, "I won't."

Ariun smiled softly at him before looking at the sky, "Want to stargaze with me?"

He chuckled and settled down next to her.

* * *

Law stared down at the female in his arms as he carried her to bed. The book had detailed so many experiments with graphic detail of what was done. He had decided that her's was the worst of them all perhaps because he knew her. Either way, it surprised him that she managed to survive some of it. The amount of pain she went through had to have been intense, yet she survived where others had died. Perhaps it was because of her devil fruit? Or perhaps it was because she was so stubborn? Either way, she was alive and breathing. He sighed softly as he set her down and began to leave her room. He stopped to look back at her once he reached the door. Her face was relaxed and peaceful. It seemed odd that she looked like that in sleep now that he knew what she had gone through or at least a portion of it. He left her room and closed the door behind him before leaning on it. He pressed the heel of one of his hands to his forehead as he murmured, "How did you survive, Ariun-ya? How can you act like a regular person after all that?"

He wasn't expecting an answer, so he almost jumped when he heard, "Storm's unique like that."

He turned and found Maki looking at him, "Maki-ya? What are you still doing up?"

"I wanted to check on Storm to make sure she was sleeping," Maki answered with a slight smile, "She sometimes goes days without sleeping for some of the most stupid reasons,"

Law inclined his head as he stood up straight, "Ariun-ya is sleeping."

Maki nodded his head, "I guessed as much when you walked out," He looked at the door behind Law for a few seconds, "Storm's a special kind of person. In the years I've known her, she's always been an odd one. She tried to stay away from Kuro and I in the beginning."

"Really?" Law looked at him in surprise, "But you all are so..."

"Close?" Maki supplied and gained a nod, "Kuro and I continued to bug her. Eventually, she became the person she is to us,"

"And that is?" Law asked.

"I've told you that she's as close to a little sister to me as I can get," Maki smiled at him though it was edged with darkness, "It's the same for Kuro. She's our head strong, idiotic, chaotic, and so many other things little sister," Maki's golden eyes narrowed at Law, "She's starting to trust you. Do. Not. Make. Her. Regret. It,"

"I won't," Law's eyes narrowed in return, "I know how hard it is for her to trust me,"

Maki eyed him for a little before nodding with a small smile, "Good," He turned and began to walk away before pausing with head turning to look back at Law, "Listen Trafalgar," Law's eyes narrowed a bit more, "Ariun," Law's eyes widened upon hearing the silver haired male utter Ariun's name, "Is one of the best judges of character, but even she can get it wrong. If you willingly hurt her either physically or mentally for whatever reason, nothing will save you from Kuro and I," The silver haired male's eyes suddenly turned blood red, "We weren't known as demonic beasts for nothing after all," The man's eyes returned to normal and he began to walk away, "Good night Captain. Sweet dreams."

Law stared after the man long after his footsteps faded. He turned and began to head to the stairs without looking back. He was tempted to call it a dream, but he wonder about one thing; what was it with his newest crewmembers and their penchant for threatening him?

* * *

Law watched Ariun walk into the galley and get her food before walking over to the table. The spotted haired female offered him a smile before she yawned out, "Good morning."

Law offered her a smirk in return before holding out the newspaper to her, "Ariun-ya take a look at this."

Ariun offered him a raised eyebrow before taking the paper. He watched her eyes scan the paper before lighting up slightly. She gained a slightly smug air and murmured, "About time."

"I thought you weren't interested in gaining a bounty," Law looked at her in amusement.

She gave him a smirk and shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe so, but I have to say it's a rather good one for my first one," Her eyes became half-lidded and she leaned forward before purring, "Are you angry that my bounty is higher than yours dear Captain?"

"Look at mine," Law replied with a chuckle.

She scanned the page before shrugging, "Ah your bounty was raised to 88 million. Eh still can't beat the fact my first bounty is 12 million higher than yours."

"A 55 million beri bounty?" Kuro whistled as he looked at the paper, "Nice Storm,"

"Congratulations on the bounty increase Captain," Maki said as he sat down at the table, "And to you as well Storm. Your first bounty is rather nice,"

* * *

I looked at the other wanted posters and my eyes widened upon seeing a certain one. Maki and Kuro were staring at the same one. Both were tense, I couldn't get the sight out of my head. I handed the newspaper back to Law while elbowing both of my friends. They looked at me, but I ignored them as I smiled at Law, "So where are we going next?"

Law's eyes were narrow, but he gave me the answer, "I do not know the name of the island, but the Navigator's tell me that we'll reach it in two days."

Nodding my head, I ate my breakfast quickly before leaving. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. Kuro and Maki entered my room ten minutes later. They took a seat on the floor and all was silent save for the sound of the waves crashing against the hull. Kuro broke the silence first as per usual, "Well didn't expect that."

"Nope," I breathed out.

"What're we gonna do?" The brown haired man asked looking at me.

"What can we do?" Maki asked turning his eyes on the green eyed man.

"I dunno," Kuro groaned softly, "Fuck this is..."

"Interesting," Both males looked at me.

"Interesting?" They asked.

"Interesting," I nodded my head with a small smile as I sat up.

"Why is this interesting?" Maki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Storm have you gone insane?" Kuro demanded with wide eyes.

"It's interesting," I smiled at the two, "He became a pirate and is no doubt heading for the Grandline. Perhaps he's already here,"

"So?" Kuro asked, "Why the hell is that interesting?"

"We'll most likely meet up with him at some point in time," I replied as my tail swished behind me, "I'll get to see what my caretakers saw in him," I smirked as my claws grew and I looked at them, "Perhaps I will see if he's a worthy opponent or perhaps a worthy ally,"

"What do you mean?" I knew both were slightly disturbed by my uncharacteristic words.

"You both know that we'll most likely encounter _him_ at some point while in this sea," Both stiffened as their eyes widen, "As a result, we will need all the help we can get,"

"Should our new crew be more than enough?" Kuro asked with a raised eyebrow, "They're strong from what I've seen,"

"Maybe so, but it never hurts to have multiple allies," I closed my eyes with a soft sigh.

"Storm," Maki's voice was soft causing me to open my eyes and look at him, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," I answered without hesitation.

"If we end up meeting _him_ , will you be okay?" He looked at me in concern.

"I'm no longer a child Maki," My fingers clenched and I felt the small sting of my claws digging into the skin of my palms, "I'll be fine,"

Maki grimaced, "Will you tell Law?"

"Only when I have to," Maki's eyes narrowed, "Maki," He sighed, "Go to your jobs guys,"

They both stood up and left the room. I laid back against my bed and sighed softly. Maki was angry with me, but there was nothing I could do. Well, I could tell Law. I grimaced and laid my arm over my eyes. I'm just starting to trust the guy and I've only known him for a handful of weeks. I can't just push all my shitty problems on to the guy. It would probably scare him away. It wasn't as if he could have been through anything like me. Right?

 **End**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law looked at Ariun as she stalked out onto the deck in her leopard form. She spotted him and walked over to him, "Law."

"Ariun-ya," He had to admit her leopard for looked rather amazing in the sunlight, "Is there a reason you decided to walk around like that?"

Ariun shrugged and sat down next to him, "I felt like it," She continued to speak before he could ask her why she had come outside, "Buck and the others do not need my help at the moment, so I decided to come outside."

Law nodded upon hearing that, "Today is a rather nice day."

"That it is," Ariun looked up at him, "We will be reaching our first Grandline island tomorrow right?"

"At noon if the conditions stay favorable," Law replied with a slight smirk.

Ariun was silent for a while and Law turned his gaze towards the waves. The next island was a spring island which would most likely have a wide array of things they could use. He knew his more overzealous crewmates would be happy to visit the brothels on the island if it had any. He hoped they would encounter some type of marine or pirate ship along the way. Not only would it give them more supplies and money, it would also allow his crew to stretch a bit. He was broken from his thoughts when Ariun spoke again, "Have you decided how you're going to punish me yet?"

He looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow and teasingly asked, "Why so willing to get punished?"

She continued to look at the sea and for all the world it seemed as if she hadn't said a word. He admitted to himself that it was slightly unnerving. She spoke after a few moments, "I'd rather just get it done and over with. I find no use in drawing such things out and would rather not have it held over my head."

Law supposed she was right about there being no use in drawing out her punishment. He however was baffled by the fact he hadn't been able to come up with one yet. With a small chuckle, "I suppose you're right, but there is a small problem," She looked up at him and he could see curiosity swirling in her eyes, "I have yet to find a suitable punishment."

Ariun let out a small chuffing sound, "Really?"

"Yes," He set his hand on her head and lightly scratched behind her ears causing her to purr, "It's hard for me to find ways to punish you," He removed his hand after a few moments causing Ariun to huff at him and move away slightly, "You're a rather hard person to punish,"

Ariun let out a purr that sounded like she was humming, "How do you punish Bepo?"

"I make it so he can't eat fish for awhile," He answered with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"I love eating fish," She replied with a small shrug, "Why not use that?"

"I could, but I need to do more than that," It was a simple punishment which honestly sounded much better than anything else he'd thought up so far.

* * *

I shrugged my shoulders and yawned, "You'll probably think up something soon."

I walked over to the middle of the deck and curled up. I felt Law's eyes on me, but ignored it as I closed my eyes and began to sun myself.

* * *

Law was writing down some information he had found in the book that he hadn't known about Ariun when Bepo's voice came through the speakers, "Captain! We need you in the control room!"

Law bit back a sigh and closed Ariun's file before putting it away. He headed out of the infirmary and made his way towards the navigation room. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Ariun standing next to Bepo. She looked to be trying to calm down his panicking head navigator and first mate. She caught sight of him and said, "Bepo you need to calm down. Law's here."

"Captain!" The bear shouted and immediatly rushed up to him, "We're being followed by a marine ship!"

"Are you certain?" He asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Yes," Bepo answered, "What do you want us to do?"

"Prepare the ship for a fight," He replied with a dark smirk.

Ariun looked at him as Bepo rushed about with the other navigators. Someone began to shout orders as Ariun walked over to him and asked, "So we're going to attack them?"

"Yes," He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Scared?"

"No," She was smirking slightly, "I was wondering what you would like me to do,"

Law was surprised to hear the question before remembering that Ariun was still new to the crew. He contemplated the thought and toyed with multiple things before deciding, "I want you to stick near me and keep the marine's off my back."

Ariun nodded her head before looking out of the window where a group of fish was passing by. She spoke after a few minutes, "Do you think I should be in my human form or my zoan?"

"Human for now, but if you feel the need to transform, do so," He replied wondering why she had asked.

She nodded head, "Very well."

* * *

Blood splashed against the ground as the cries of Marine's echoed around me. The other members of the crew were hard at work fighting them. I've barely had to fight which was a small shame, but I guess it wasn't too bad. Law had room up and a few marines were cut up inside of it. It was rather fascinating to watch him work, but I kept my eyes and ears on the world around us. A marine charged at me and I tossed a dagger at his throat with deadly accuracy. He fell with a gurgle just a few feet from me and I bent down to grab my dagger. I dimly noted that it needed to be replaced and mentally sighed at that fact. I would need to go to the weapons shop on the next island and see about procuring some new ones. Shaking my head lightly, I returned to my position behind Law. He glanced at me and asked, "Something wrong?"

"I need to go to a weapons shop on the next island to pick up some new daggers and maybe some other throwing weapons," I replied while focusing on the slowly diminishing marines, "Am I to assume that you'll want me with you again?"

"Yes," He placed a marine's head on top of someone's foot with arms sticking out of the poor soul's head like bunny ears, "You look rather bored,"

"This isn't that challenging," I heard Kuro let out a whoop as he once again smashed some poor idiots head in, "I love fighting challenging battles. Fighting lower ranking marines is turning out to be very disappointing," I grimaced as blood splashed against my cheek and some marine fell to the ground with a slit throat, "It reminds me too much of fighting idiotic thugs,"

"So you enjoy fighting tougher opponents?" Law inquired as another marine charged at me.

I nodded my head as I took out my bladed staff and watched boredly as the dumbass skewered himself, "You don't get stronger by fighting those weaker than you. If you fight those that challenge you, you will grow stronger with each fight regardless of winning or losing since you will always learn something new."

"You wish to get stronger?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I nodded with a small smile that left my face as I twirled my staff around causing it to slam into the neck of the charging marine. The marine's neck broke with a sharp crack and he fell to the ground like a broken puppet. I felt Law's eyes on me as I swung my staff around and slammed the bladed end into a marine's chest. The marine cried out as I twisted my staff and kicked him off of it. I answered Law's question while ignoring the feeling of blood dripping onto my cheek, "Yes I wish to get stronger," the sound of fighting decreased revealing that the fight was almost over, "I wish to protect those that are important to me. In order to do that, I must become as strong as possible."

"So you wish to become stronger to protect those you love?" Law clarified making me nod with a slight smile.

"Yes and no," I tossed my bladed staff into the last marine still standing outside of Law's bunch of puzzle pieces, "I wish to become stronger for another reason, but only time will tell if that reason will ever show itself,"

* * *

Law watched her walk away from him in order to retrieve her bladed staff leaving him to wonder what the other reason was. He mentally shook himself and finished off all but three of the marines. He spoke to his waiting crew, "I want these three taken to my secondary lab," Shachi, Penguin, and Kaze grabbed hold of the still shell shocked marines, "The rest of you are to go onto their ship and get anything worth taking," They cheered and took off, "Ariun-ya," She looked at him from the back of the group, "I've decided to have you aid me in my experiments on those marines as your punishment."

Ariun nodded though he was surprised to see her skin pale somewhat, "Okay."

He walked over to the railing of the ship and watched his men work. Ariun followed him silently which was something that unnerved him, but he ignored it.

* * *

After everything of value was taken from the marine ship, Law sunk it. I followed Law back inside and he turned to me as the door shut behind us, "Go get cleaned up."

"You aren't going to work on those marines yet?" I asked trying to ignore the slight fear that rose up in my mind.

"No I plan to do that at a later time," He replied and I felt a small amount of relief, "I need to see if anyone has been injured," He eyed me, "Did you get hurt?"

"No I don't believe so," I didn't feel any pain which meant either I wasn't injured or the injury was small.

Law seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was, "If you come across any wounds no matter how small, come to the infirmary. They may be far more serious than at first glance."

I nodded and left Law to go to my room. I could feel the blood that had gotten on me at various points during the fighting start to dry. I hoped that none of it had gotten in my hair since blood was a bitch to get out. I closed my door behind me and put my weapons on the table in my room before stripping off my clothing and heading into the bathroom. I grimaced upon seeing the fine white strands in various parts of my hair splattered with blood and sighed softly.

* * *

Everyone was eating lunch and boasting over their accomplishments during the battle. Law was listening to them with half an ear while wondering where Ariun was. Bepo seemed to be wondering the same thing, "Where's Ari-chan?"

"Most likely still in the shower," Kuro supplied making Law frown.

"Why would she still be in the shower?" Shachi asked with a raised eyebrow, "I thought she wasn't one of those girly girls,"

"She isn't for the most part," Maki said causing the other occupants of the table to look at him, "The only thing she really takes pride in is her hair,"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Penguin asked while frowning slightly.

"Storm's hair is white for the most part right?" Kuro asked and gained multiple nods, "We were just in a fight and Storm most likely got blood on her hair,"

"Blood stains white stuff easily and is hard to get off," Bepo murmured in realization, "Ari-chan's hair had blood on it and she's most likely trying to get rid of the red color,"

"Yup plus her white hair is one of the only things that she has left of her mother," Kuro nodded his head while Maki sighed.

"Kuro," Maki said as the group looked at the brown haired male, "You are not supposed to talk about Storm's mom,"

Kuro's eyes widen while the group frowned, "Oh shit!" The green eyed male looked at them in panic, "Don't tell Storm that I told you that! She'll kill me!"

* * *

I finally got out of the shower and shivered as the tip of my tail twitched. My eyes narrowed as I dried myself off and I mused, "I wonder what Kuro did this time."

* * *

 **Somewhere in the New World...**

"Captain!" Someone shouted.

"What?" Said Captain looked at the one who had interrupted his pleasant dreams.

"The Kitten has a bounty!" The entire crew stopped and looked at the man before the Captain took the bounty poster from his hands.

He stared down at the grin on the girl that he hadn't seen in a while and chuckled, "Well Ariun it seems that you've grown," He turned to his crew, "Let's party!"

 **End.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **Answer to Apple Jack:  
I've never read that story before, but I thank you for pointing that out. You've said before that you're confused about how Ariun's trust keeps shifting. Can you explain that to me as that made me rather confused. **

* * *

Start

* * *

My fist slammed into Kuro's head the moment I saw him surprising everyone in the galley. Kuro's head was shoved into his plate and I offered Maki a smirk as he asked, "Your tail twitched didn't it?"

My tail wrapped around Kuro's neck as I asked, "What did the idiot do this time?"

"He," Maki began only for Kuro to shake his head.

"Maki!" Kuro shouted with wide eyes, "Why?!"

Maki snorted while I shoved Kuro's head down once more, "I'm not suicidal enough to cover for you," He looked at Kuro with a raised eyebrow, "I may love you, but i'd rather not have Storm pissed at me," He turned to me, "He was talking about your mom."

My tail tightened as my eyes narrowed causing Kuro to struggle against me, "And what did he say about her?"

"That your white hair is one of the only things you have left of her," Maki told me.

I hummed and released Kuro making him move away from me with his hand on his neck. I looked at him in amusement as he gasped and rubbed at his neck, "A problem Kuro?"

"Damn it Storm," He gasped out while glaring at me, "Don't do that to me,"

I snorted as my tail flicked behind me, "I wouldn't have to if you'd stop doing stupid shit."

Before Kuro could retort and I could speak further, Law spoke up, "Ariun-ya I would appreciate it if you didn't strangle your fellow crewmember."

I looked at Law with a raised eyebrow, "You do realize that it's going to be hard obeying the order right?"

"How so?" He looked at me with some amused curiosity.

"When Kuro is acting stupid and my tail tip twitches, I react instinctively," I explained while running a hand through my damp hair, "It's how I've done things for years and suddenly being told I can't do it? It'll take sometime before I can restrain that impulse,"

"Is it only when he does something stupid that concerns you or is it all the time?" Law asked making me hum softly.

"Only when it concerns me," I answered before my stomach growled.

"Go get lunch," Law ordered and I nodded.

* * *

Law was sitting in his office after finishing his lunch and informing Ariun to meet him there when she was done. He was somewhat surprised at what happened during lunch and wondered how exactly she knew Kuro had said something. It was a rather amusing reaction and would no doubt provide a lot of amusement over the long days they were stuck in the sub. He wondered just how strong that tail of her's was. It was obviously somewhat strong if it could lift her daggers and throw them long distances. He would have to ask Ariun about that since it seemed to be a rather interesting ability. Law was broken from his musing as Ariun walked inside of his office. She sat down across from him and asked, "So what are we doing?"

"We'll be going down to see our guests fairly soon," He answered while catching sight of her skin paling a bit, "Do you have a problem with it?"

"No," She replied after a few seconds, "Was there anything else?"

He wasn't convinced that she didn't have a problem with it, but decided that it didn't matter. It was her punishment after all. He decided to answer her question, "Ariun-ya what exactly can you do with your tail?

"A lot of stuff," Her tail flicked behind her, "My tail is fairly strong and very maneuverable. I can use it to toss daggers and block harsh blows," She hummed softly, "I can use it to hold things if my hands are either full or I need both of them like when I'm using my staff,"

"How much weight can it hold?" Law asked feeling fairly surprised.

Ariun was silent for a few moments as her head tilted to the side, "I think I can lift around a hundred pounds with it, but I'm not too sure."

"Even if it can hold less than that, your tail is fairly strong," Law decided that it was worth testing and seeing if they could increase the amount her tail could hold, "How exactly did you know that Kuro did something during lunch?"

* * *

I looked at Law with some confusion and asked, "Can you repeat that?"

Law's eyes narrowed, "I dislike repeating myself."

"Perhaps, but I trying to figure out if I heard you correctly," I murmured with a frown, "You asked me 'How exactly did you know that Kuro did something during lunch?' right?"

"Correct," Law's eyes stayed narrowed, "Is there a problem?"

"No, but that's an odd question," I struggled to find the answer, "It's instincts I guess,"

"Instinct?" Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "How exactly does that work?"

"I don't know," I admitted with a small sigh and ran a hand through my hair, "It's just something that developed over the years of dealing with Kuro's stupidity," I closed my eyes, "I've never really questioned it,"

"Does the same thing happen if Maki is acting stupid?" I shook my head with a laugh.

"Maki doing something stupid?" The thought was just too hilarious, "The world would end or something,"

"He never does anything stupid?" Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

I shook my head with as a laugh bubbled up in my throat, "Maki is the only one of us that doesn't have a stupidity impulse."

Law chuckled before stopping and looking at me in surprise, "You have a stupidity impulse?"

I nodded feeling no shame in admitting it, "Yeah though my stupidity impulse more selective than Kuro's."

"How so?" Law asked with curiosity in his eyes.

I smile sheepishly, "I enjoy getting a rise out of people, I enjoy watching explosions, I enjoy stealing shiny things from people that annoy me, and I do whatever I'm dared to do unless it goes against my morals."

* * *

After revealing that kind of embarrassing information, we headed down to Law's second lab. A shiver crawled down my spine as we entered and I saw the poor souls strapped down to three table. I wanted to run away almost immediatly, but I kept following Law. I needed to get a grip on myself and get through this punishment. The scent of old blood lingered in the air, yet I could see none on the pristine equipment meaning that Law had killed more than a few in this room. The thought didn't bother me much, but the room reminded me too much of the one I had been in before. I swallowed and watched Law as he took out equipment. He spoke as he did so, "We'll be questioning them for any valuable information as well as experimenting on them."

"Okay," I barely kept myself from fidgeting, "What do you want me to do?"

Law didn't answer my question, but he didn't need to. I was there to observe, hand him the things he indicated, be his second pair of hands should he require it, and a few other things. As he worked, I began to feel numb, but I pushed the feeling down. I watched as he cut into the men, toyed with them, spilled their blood, and so much more. Flashes of memory slammed into my skull as the men screamed. My throat tightened as my ears began to ring. It felt like something was strangling me. Darkness edged at my vision as screams echoed through my mind. Splashes of bright crimson seemed to take over my vision for a few seconds. The scientist was coming for me. I knew that he was. I could hear his insane laughter ripping through the air and his taunting voice listing what he was going to do. The dull thud of his feet on the ground seemed to speed up. No. I couldn't go through another one.

* * *

"Ariun-ya hand me that scalpel," Law ordered feeling annoyed that she hadn't done so already.

"N-no," He swung around to look at her upon hearing her stutter that, "N-no,"

He felt his eyes widened upon seeing Ariun's eyes wide and unseeing. They were glazed over and had taken on a bright yellow tint. The yellow tint seemed to grow as her skin became the color of snow. He cursed himself as he realized what was happening, "Ariun-ya calm down."

"N-no..." She was backing away from him towards the wall, "N-no..."

He moved towards her slowly, "Ariun-ya I will not hurt you-"

"NO!" He was surprised by the shout, "No more. Please no more,"

Tears were running down her cheek as her pupil became small diamonds. He moved towards her again only for her to let out what sounded like a cross between a whimper and growl. She backed herself into the wall and was shaking her head. She was whispering no more over and over again with a look of absolute fear on her face. When he stepped forward once more, her eyes closed and she fainted. Cursing softly, he moved over to her quickly and caught her before she could slid down the wall.

* * *

Law carefully set Ariun down on her bed and sat next to her. He felt like hitting himself for forcing her into that situation. She had been experimented on and had probably been terrified of the whole situation. He cursed himself for not remembering those facts when he devised that stupid punishment. He pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered, "Damn it. I fucked up," He looked down at Ariun, "I'm sorry Ariun-ya. I should have taken your past into account."

* * *

I groaned softly and wondered why my head hurt. I opened my eyes and looked around only to find myself in my room. Odd I could have sworn I was walking down to Law's second lab a few seconds ago. What the hell happened? I carefully got out of bed and looked out of the window only to see darkness. Frowning, I looked down and saw that I was still in my clothes from after my shower. My curiosity grew and I headed outside of my room. The sub was quiet save for the soft hum of the engines meaning that everyone was asleep. My frown grew and I walked up the stairs. Listening closely as I walk down the hall, I tried to see if anyone was awake. My ears twitched as I heard the sound of pages turning and turned my head to see it was coming from Law's office. Taking it as a sign that the man was awake, I knocked on the door. The sound immediatly stopped before his voice sounded, "What is it?"

"Law," I called through the door, "Can I come in?"

He was silent for a few moments before I heard his chair scraping against the floor. Moments later, the door opened and the man was staring at me with an unreadable look on his face. He moved aside after a few moments and I took it as an invitation. Law retook his seat at his desk and asked, "What is it?"

"I was wondering what happened earlier," I murmured after taking a seat across from him, "All I can remember is following you to your second lab,"

Law was quiet, but I was shocked to see regret in those interesting eyes of his. He spoke after a few minutes as I tried to figure out why he would regret something, "Ariun-ya you had what could only be a flashback mixed with a panic attack."

"Why?" My head was hurting making me wonder what I had a flashback to.

"I believe it is because you were experimented on and what I was doing caused memories of your time with the scientist to overcome you," Law explained with a sigh, "You were trapped in your memory and when I tried to approach you, you passed out after backing yourself into a corner,"

A blush stained my cheeks at the phrasing even as disappointment ran through me. I bowed my head and murmured, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"Ariun-ya you are not at fault here," I looked up at him with surprise, "It is my fault for not considering your past when I decided upon this punishment," He looked regretful, "You have my apologies for that,"

I shook my head, "You didn't know it would happen, so there isn't really any harm done other than to my pride."

Law looked surprised before chuckling, "Pride?"

* * *

He couldn't believe this woman and the fact she was brushing what happened off. Ariun actually pouted as she murmured, "I can't believe I fainted like that. Panic attack-flashback-thing or not, I shouldn't have fainted."

He could stop the laughter that bubbled up in his chest from escaping. The situation was just hilarious. Ariun joined him after a few moments. They slowly stopped laughing and he murmured, "You are one interesting woman."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "So what? Pride is important."

He chuckled and shook his head, "Ariun-ya I suggest going to the galley and making yourself a snack before going to bed. You missed dinner after all."

She nodded just as her stomach growled. He was surprised when his stomach growled as well. Ariun smiled teasingly at him, "Going to join me Law?"

He stood from his desk as she stood from her chair, "I could use a break."

Law decided that, as he followed Ariun out of his office towards the galley, he was lucky to have discovered her on that island and that she joined his crew.

 **End**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **To Guest: I believe it is pronounced Ari-un.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I plopped down on the deck next to Law and took out my sketchbook. I also took out a pencil and opened to a new page. Law looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Drawing," I answered while taking a look at Bepo and began to sketch him.

"What are you drawing?" He asked making me glance at him before looking back at Bepo.

"Bepo," I drew his head and facial features first.

"Why?" I felt some annoyance at the questions.

I pushed that annoyance back as I continued to draw and answered him, "Because I haven't drawn him yet and it'd be a shame if my sketches didn't contain the precious bear."

Law chuckled and asked, "Have you drawn anyone else yet?"

"Shachi and Penguin," I replied as my lips twitched at the thought of that sketch, "I've drawn Buck as well,"

"And me?" I shook my head, "Why not?"

I shrugged my shoulders in reply, "I haven't felt the need to. I'm sure I'll end up drawing you soon," I absentmindedly added, "It'd be a shame if I didn't add your interesting eyes to my sketches."

I immediatly froze as Law mumbled, "Interesting eyes?"

Oh shit I said that aloud?! I blushed lightly and tried to ignore the look Law was giving me. Bepo shifted in his sleep while murmuring, "Fish..."

I giggled at Bepo and wondered just what he was dreaming about. The small amount of drool leaking out of his mouth told me that it was about eating fish. I stopped giggling and looked at Law when he touched my shoulder lightly. I blushed slightly when he asked, "You think I have interesting eyes?"

"It's the first thing I really noticed about you," I admitted while mentally kicking myself for telling him this stuff, "I've never really seen that color on anything other than clouds," I ran a hand through my hair before returning my attention to my sketches, "It was so interesting that I kinda forgot about my trust issues and wanted to see what would happen when I flirted with you,"

* * *

Law stared at Ariun in surprise at her admittance of that. Sure he had recently wondered why she would flirt with him after the shit that happened to her in the past. He would admit that the way she acted most of the time made him forget about her past until something happens. The thoughts swirled through his mind prompting him to ask, "Why do you act the way you do?"

Ariun froze with her pencil to the paper before looking at him with slightly guarded eyes, "What?"

He disliked repeating himself, but even he knew that he hadn't asked the question right, "Ariun-ya you usually act like nothing happened to you in the past. Why is that?"

Ariun's eyes lost their guardedness and she sighed while putting down her sketchbook. She stared at the pencil in her hand for a few moments, "I...I guess it's because I don't want Kuro and Maki to worry about me," She then shook her head, "At first, it was because I didn't want them to worry about me. Then, it became a habit. After a few years, I became the person I was trying to hide behind."

"You hid yourself so deeply that you became your facade," He realized and looked at the woman sitting next to him a new light.

She smiled in a gentle way and turned her eyes towards him, "Yes and no. Over time, I realized that I didn't want to be stuck in the past among my demons," Her eyes were soft and bright, "I didn't want to fear every person I met and see the worst in them. I wanted to see the good things too. I wanted to bury my past and act as if it wasn't there."

"Which is unhealthy," He pointed out causing her to laugh softly.

She shook her head as amusement showed in her mismatched orbs, "I know that. My 'facade' as you put it was unhealthy and I realized that after a year of using it," She looked at Bepo and reached out to run her fingers through his fur, "I had nightmares every night no matter what I did and I could see my friends suffering because of it," She frowned deeply, "I didn't want them to suffer because of me, so I ran away," She let out a soft laugh, "Little good it did. Kuro and Maki caught up to me a month later. Pissed off that I left them."

"How did they find you?" He asked making her smile.

"Maki has a devil fruit," She explained with a slight grin, "A creepy as fuck devil fruit, but a useful one," She shook her head, "Anyway, I tried to tell them my excuse for leaving them and Kuro punched me," She reached up and rubbed her jaw, "Fucker managed to knock out three of my baby teeth and almost broke my jaw at the age of ten. Hurt like a bitch, but made me listen to them," Her eyes were slightly glazed over, "They called my excuse shitty and told me that I was running from my problems. Told me that I was an idiot and that they would help me through it even if it killed them," She shook her head and looked at him, "Kuro and Maki helped me through my past. They helped me find some of the other people that got experimented on. I faced my past and became stronger because of it," She picked up her sketchbook and resumed her drawing, "Sometimes, I get lost in my past, but those days are few and far in between,"

Law felt like a weight that had been on his shoulders lift the longer she spoke until it was gone. He realized that they had more in common then he had thought.

* * *

Ariun and Bepo walked with him once they had docked the sub. The crew had split up with half of them guarding the sub and the other half getting supplies. Ariun was looking around the island with a look of awe on her face causing him to chuckle. She looked at him and asked, "What's so funny?"

"You look like a child," He answered teasingly.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as Bepo snickered beside her, "Hey you would be too if this was the first time you've been on a spring island."

He chuckled though admitted that it was slightly true. Bepo patted Ariun's head making her cheeks puff out, "It's alright Ari-chan. You can act like a child if you want. Captain's just being mean"

"Captain needs a boot to the ass then," Ariun grumbled making him snort.

"Captain can hear you," Law smirked at her as she glared at him.

"I'm aware," She looked away from him before gasping and pointing, "Can we go there?!"

He turned his head and felt like facepalming. Ariun was pointing at a fish shaped restaurant and Bepo was looking at him with puppy dog eyes. He closed his eyes for a second to get rid of the urge to facepalm before saying, "No. We need to get supplies remember."

"Oh right," Ariun pouted along with Bepo.

He felt the urge to leave both of them behind, but controlled it while wondering why they were acting so childish.

* * *

I was carrying a group of bags filled with books, new weapons, weapon care kits, and some new clothes. The new clothes had been Law's idea since I didn't have anything for the summer and desert islands we were likely to encounter when on the Grandline. Law had also made sure that to inform me that I needed to get our jolly roger stitched into every piece of my clothes. I set my stuff down in my room before heading back outside. Law was staring at one of the navigators. I can't exactly remember his name, but I knew he was the one Law had sent for information about the island. I moved beside Law as I asked, "What's going on?"

"Apparently the logpose sets in a week," Law informed me with slightly narrowed eyes.

"A week?" I murmured while trying to figure out if that was a bad thing, "Okay..."

"Apparently a storm is going to hit the island in two days," I still didn't think it was bad, "The storm apparently happens once a month and lasts for five days,"

"So right up until we leave the island?" I asked and gained a nod, "What's the problem with that? It's just a little rain storm right?"

"An electrical storm," Law corrected me and I immediatly saw the problem.

"We live on a sub," I bit my lip before asking, "What are we going to do?"

Law sighed while the navigator said, "They have a shelter made for ships like ours set up on the other side of the island. Only thing is, we would have to pay through the nose in order to dock our sub there."

I felt a small burst of anger and asked, "Why the fuck would they do that?"

"They're greedy assholes," Law sighed deeply, "In from the person in charge that we'll pay for it,"

"Aye Captain," The navigator ran off while I turned to Law.

He looked at me and smirked, "Ariun-ya we'll be stealing our money back once the storm is over."

My lips twitched into a grin at the thought, "Sounds nice. I assume we're also going to be stealing anything else of value as well?"

"We're pirates so what do you think?" He asked making me giggle.

"Might I say that I enjoy being a pirate," The thought of stealing after so long was very appealing, "Will I be able to keep anything I find interesting?"

Law seemed to consider it, "Only if you show it to me first."

I nodded having already planned on doing so, "Of course."

* * *

Law watched as his crew made fools of themselves in the bar nearest to the docks. Ariun was sitting next to him and seemingly ignored everything that was going on around her. He would have been fooled had it not been for the occasional twitch of her slightly hidden leopard ears. She looked up at him from the book she had brought with her and asked, "Is there something wrong Law?"

"No," He watched as her eyes did a swift check around the bar before focusing on him once more, "Why would you think there was one?"

"You've been staring at me for the last eighteen minutes," She deadpanned gaining a frown from him, "I assumed there was something wrong,"

He felt a bit of annoyance, but amusement overlapped it. He smirked at her teasingly and asked, "Do you have a problem with me staring at you?"

She snorted and reached for her drink, "No, but it is a distraction from my book."

"Which book are you reading?" He looked at the cover.

The cover annoyingly enough only had a crescent moon on it and the title 'Night of the crescent' gave no indication of what it was about. Ariun smirked at him and put her book away, "An adventure romance book."

"Ah and you brought it to a bar?" He asked feeling his smirk grow.

She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back against her chair, "Bars are boring."

"Why did you come with us then?" He felt slightly intrigued.

"People's tongues loosen up with alcohol," Immediately he began to understand why, "If we want to get a really good haul, we need as much information as possible," She winked at him as she grabbed her drink, "Alcohol is also a reason. Plus, this," She waved at the rest of the crew, "Is amusing,"

Feeling highly amused and interested in what she was saying, he asked, "What have you gathered so far?"

"Nothing much. It seems that these people aren't the ones we need to be drinking around," She looked faintly annoyed for a few moments before it faded away, "All I got is that they won't be gathering any money until the day before the storm hits,"

He filed the information away before asking, "Where did you pick up a skill like this?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I used to work as a protector remember," She tapped her ears lightly, "I needed to hear if someone needed one and why. If I was pleased with what I heard, I would go over and smooth talk the potential client into taking me on as their protector for however long they were on the island."

"How many times did you work as a 'protector'?" He asked using air quotes for the word protector.

She hummed and continued to drink, "I lost count after the 1000th time. It just blurs together."

"You were good at your job?" He asked feeling slightly shocked by the amount of times she played guard.

She nodded with a smug smirk, "Oh hell yeah. The only time someone died was because of their own arrogance," She snorted and closed her eyes, "I don't work for idiots that think they're untouchable just 'cause they have some hired muscle protecting them."

"Did you enjoy it?" He tried to think of ways he could use this experience of hers to his advantage.

She nodded with a slight smile, "Pay was good and I got to hear about my clients travels if they were comfortable enough around me."

 **End**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Ariun was sitting on top of the roof of the hotel they were using for their stay when he found her. She was staring at the island as the light of the full moon embraced the island. She spoke before he could, "It's a beautiful night isn't it?"

He chuckled softly, "It is. Why did you come out here?"

"I'm trying to get a good view of the island before the storm," She replied while lifting up the sketchbook she held in her lap, "It would be crappy if I didn't get the chance to draw it,"

"Will you do this for all the island we go to?" He asked while making his way over to her.

She nodded with a slight smile, "Sure why not. It'll be a good way to document the islands we go to. It'll go right along with the written log I've been keeping."

"Written log?" He looked at her curiously.

She nodded with a slightly sheepish grin, "It helps me remember valuable information. I started keeping one a few years back since it made keeping the information my clients gave me a lot easier," She looked at him and bit her lip, "While I'm slightly absent minded, I'm also forgetful if the information I'm given isn't readily useful to me," He chuckled and she sighed, "Made the people teaching me stuff go a little insane," He expected her to smile only for her to frown, "Not the best thing to happen sometimes."

"Not many fond memories?" She shook her head.

"Some of my teachers were not meant to teach," She grumbled softly much to his amusement, "I had a hard time listening to them for more than a few seconds at a time. The worst one was one of my caretakers," Her lips actually twitched, "Fucker was drunk most of the time,"

"What did he try to teach you?" She giggled softly.

"I can't remember," She shook her head fondly while making his curiosity at who her caretakers were come to the forefront of his mind, "I only remember that every lesson ended with him either having a hangover or passing out after drinking waaaay too much. I think he actually gave me alcohol the last time we saw each other,"

He felt like she was talking about someone special to her...like her own Corasan.

* * *

I looked at Law in confusion when he tensed. Before I could question why, he stood up and began walking away. He stopped at the door and said, "Make sure you get some rest tonight."

I frowned as he left me alone on the roof and wondered what the hell had happened. I sighed in irritation, "What the hell stung him in the ass?"

I froze the moment those words left my mouth before groaning. I had been spending too much time with Kuro. I shook my head and turned back to my drawing. Right need to get this done before it storms.

* * *

I frowned as Law seemed to ignore me the next day and acted as if I wasn't there. I was surprised to feel a bit of pain from his actions, but I guess that came with the trust I've given him. I ignored his actions and went through the day like nothing was wrong. We had just put the sub in the shelter and were heading back to the hotel when the guys kept me back. I looked at them with a raised eyebrow when Shachi asked, "Ari-chan are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine why?" I had known that the crew had noticed Law's actions, but thought nothing of it.

"Well it just Captain's acting weird and you don't seem to be troubled by it," Penguin answered making me sigh softly.

"Guys I appreciate the concern and Law ignoring me is slightly..." I tried to think of the right word, "Disconcerting,"

"So why act like nothin's wrong?" Buck asked with concern on his face, "Cause that ain't healthy Darlin',"

I shook my head lightly, "Guys much as I want to do something, I don't know Law well enough to do anything," I sighed for the second time in the last ten minutes, "Listen, I'll be fine and everything'll go back to normal," They didn't look convinced, "If I don't know what's wrong with Law, I can't do a thing. I don't know what I said or did to cause this, so doing anything now will just cause a problem. I'd rather not cause trouble."

"Ari-" I raised a hand cutting them off.

"Guys leave it," I noticed the defiant looks on their faces, "Please,"

They looked unconvinced, but nodded. I led the way back to the hotel while somewhat hoping that Law would be back to normal soon.

* * *

Law watched his crew enter the hotel with Ariun in the lead. The whole group was looking at Ariun with worry making him wonder if something was wrong. He brushed it off immediatly since she didn't show any outward signs of anything being wrong. He turned back to one of his newly acquired books and began to read it in earnest.

* * *

He was walking towards his room when he heard a strangled whimper. Frowning, he looked around the source and found Ariun's door partly open. He was about to continue his walk when thunder boomed and the strangled whimper returned. It was coming from Ariun's room. Frowning, he walked towards the door and pushed it open. He immediatly found himself shocked. Ariun was huddled in the corner of the room and shivering violently. She let out a strangled whimper each time thunder boomed. He moved inside and Ariun looked at him before flinching as lightning lit up the room. He moved towards her and asked, "Ariun-ya are you afraid of thunderstorms?"

Her ears were pressed up against her skull. She nodded with a small murmur of, "Yes," She shivered violently, "I normally room with Maki and Kuro when it storms, but they got drunk."

He frowned down at her and tried to decide what to do when another boom of thunder shook the room. She flinched violently and pressed herself closer to the wall. He frowned a little deeper before sighing and reaching down. He cupped her cheek and she looked up at him with unreadable eyes. He spoke in a calm voice even as thunder boomed and rain splattered against the glass windows, "If you want, you can room with me."

She was quiet for a while before asking, "Why?"

He was trying to figure that out himself, but rather than tell her that, he replied, "Because you are a member of my crew and it's my job as captain to look after you."

He waited for her answer as another peal of thunder reverberated through the air. She answered by reaching out to him. Removing his hand from her cheek, he took her hand in his and pulled her into a standing position. He led her out of the room and towards his own after making sure her room door was shut. He opened the door and Bepo looked up from his bed, "Captain?"

"Ariun-ya is scared of thunderstorms," He explained and the bear nodded while smiling at Ariun, "Ariun lay down,"

He pushed her lightly towards his bed before going over to where he had his clothes stored.

* * *

Bepo looked at me as Law went into the bathroom and asked, "Ari-chan why are you afraid of storms?"

I burrowed into the bed as another peal of thunder rang through the air while biting back a whimper. I answered Bepo once it faded, "It reminds me of some bad parts of my past."

Bepo nodded his head with surprise in his eyes making me realize that only Law, Kuro, and Maki knew about my past. I wondered about what I should tell them when I felt the blanket being picked up before a really warm body slid into bed next to me. An arm wrapped itself around my waist and Law murmured, "Sleep."

I nodded my head as Bepo laid down fully and closed his eyes. He was asleep in moments. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep, but it wouldn't come. The sound of thunder was too loud. I shivered and turned towards Law. He looked at me as I curled closer to him. I buried my head in his chest and tried to focus on his heart beat like I always did with Maki. I found myself falling asleep as Law's scent filled my nose and the rhythm of his heartbeat soothed my nerves.

* * *

Law watched as Ariun fell asleep while curled up against his chest. Unbidden, the image of his little sister doing the same thing came to mind. He grit his teeth and wondered how the hell this woman managed to remind him of two people that he had lost. He was tempted to push her away just to get rid of the mental images and memories she brought, but it was because of those things that he didn't. He promised himself that tomorrow night he would make her sleep with Bepo if Maki and Kuro got drunk. Hell he would make damn sure those idiots didn't get drunk. He settled into sleep as well while trying to ignore how nice it felt to have someone sleep next to him like this.

* * *

Law woke up and found Ariun still curled up against him. He stared down at her and had to admit she was kind of cute. He shook that thought away as Bepo woke up and looked at him, "Good morning Captain. Ari-chan awake?"

"Not yet," The bear nodded and got out of bed, "Please go see to it that breakfast will be ready when we get down stairs,"

"Aye Captain," The bear left the room and Law looked back down at Ariun.

She looked strangely vulnerable when she was sleeping. He found himself cupping her cheek and running his thumb across the area where her whiskers were inside of her cheek. He wondered what she would look like if her whiskers were visible. She shivered and moaned softly as his thumb caressed the area making him smirk down at her. He found his eyes drawn to her lips and without thinking leaned down. He pressed his lips to hers and found that her lips were really soft.

* * *

When I came to, I wasn't expecting to be warm and feel something touching my cheek. With how Law had acted yesterday, I had been sure he would have left as soon as he woke up. Naturally because of this, I was surprised. My surprise doubled when I felt a gentle pressure against my lips. I tried to figure out what to do, but that choice was taken from me as the pressure was removed. I heard Law's voice against my ear, "Soft and warm."

I felt him release me and leave the bed. I stayed where I was until I heard the bathroom door close. Without much thought, I got up from the bed and left the room with a cherry red face. I entered my room and closed the door behind me before leaning against it. I pressed my fingers to my lips as I realized that I could still feel his there. I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. On the one hand, I wanted to smack him for kissing me while thinking I was asleep. On the other, I wanted to kiss him again and see what happens. On my tail, I wanted to just ignore it since it's unlikely he would actually do it again. Growling softly to myself, I pushed off the door and walked over to where my clothes for the week were stashed. I walked over to the bathroom and entered it while hoping that I would have a better idea of what to do after my shower.

* * *

Once showered, I pulled on my clothes and had decided to just ignore it. It's pretty obvious that Law hadn't wanted me to know that he had kissed me, so it's best to ignore it. Hopefully, he won't act so cold today.

 **End**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I walked downstairs and found Bepo sitting on one of the hotel couches. I smiled at the bear and walked over to him, "Morning Bepo."

"Good Morning Ari-chan," He smiled at me, "How are you?"

"I'm feeling good," I looked around and noticed that only Buck was up, "Everyone else sleeping?"

Bepo didn't have a chance to answer my question as Buck walked over and asked, "Mind helpin' me wake everyone up?"

I felt like grinning and crackling at the question, but held it in, "I'll wake up Kuro and Maki."

"Sure," Buck agreed with a slight grin, "They don't seem the sort to wake up readily after getting drunk,"

"Nope," I was thinking of all the ways to wake those two up and get revenge on them for getting drunk last night.

Bepo looked between Buck and I before saying, "Captain is already awake and should be down soon."

* * *

Law was sitting with the rest of the crew downstairs when twin shouts echoed around them, "AH FUCK!"

They looked between each other just as loud laughter was heard getting closer. Ariun came speeding into the dining room and took a seat next to Law with a laugh. They looked at her as she continued to laugh until she calmed down and said, "Well Kuro and Maki are awake."

"Ari-chan," Shachi asked while everyone save for Law looked at her nervously, "What did you do to wake them up?"

She merely grinned at him causing shivers to go down their spines. She ignored the question as she turned to Law and said, "Good Morning Law."

He merely nodded to her before focusing on his breakfast.

* * *

I bit back a sigh as I watched him ignore me and turned to my food as my good mood died a little. Well it looks like he's most likely going to ignore me today.

* * *

Maki and Kuro proved to be a good way to distract me from the fact Law was ignoring me. The two had run down the stairs half naked and covered in ice cold water. I grinned at them and both glared at me. I thought I heard Buck muttering, "Never going to let her wake them up again."

I mentally crackled while my grin grew and I commented, "Look at what the cat dragged in!"

"Why the fuck did you dump ice water on us?!" Kuro roared at me.

"You needed to wake up," I said in an innocent voice, "If you would have gotten up when I asked you to, I wouldn't have dumped ice water on you,"

He bared his teeth at me to the surprise of those around us. Before anything could happen, Maki placed a hand on Kuro's shoulder, "Kuro enough."

"Maki what the-" Kuro was cut off by the look on Maki's face and the brown haired man paled, "Fuck," He turned towards me, "Shit sorry,"

I waved him off while the rest of the crew looked at us like we were insane or something, "It's fine."

"No it is-" Kuro began only for me to shake my head at him.

"It's fine Kuro. Eat," Kuro went to argue, "You can make it up to me later,"

He sighed and went to sit down. Maki looked at me and nodded his head, "Sorry."

I shrugged my shoulders and began to eat my breakfast.

* * *

By the time night fell and everyone was eating dinner, I was in a crappy mood. Law was cold in his interactions with me when forced to speak with me. I decided that tomorrow I was just going to ignore him. When everyone decided to go to the bar, I stayed behind with Maki and Kuro. I was curled up on the bed in my room and Maki was sitting in one of the seat's looking through a medical book. Kuro was stretched out on the ground and playing cards with himself. Maki spoke as I turned to a new page in my sketchbook, "What happened between you and Captain?"

I put my pencil down and shrugged, "I don't know. He just started to ignore me."

"I wonder why," Kuro looked up from his game, "I mean you too get along fairly well, but him acting like this is odd,"

"Did you say something to him in the last few days?" Maki asked looked at me curiously.

I frowned slightly as I reviewed every conversation between Law and I during the last few days. None of them screamed that I did something wrong. Coming up empty, I told them, "I haven't said anything offensive to him. I've just acted like I usually do."

All three of us frowned and Kuro muttered, "Well this sucks."

"What did you say in your last conversation with him?" Maki asked making my frown deepen.

"We were talking about one of my caretakers," I answered feeling very confused, "He suddenly stiffened up out of nowhere and left me alone after telling me to get some rest," I looked at my sketchbook, "I was drawing the island at the time too,"

Maki sighed deeply, "We haven't known the Captain long enough to understand why he would act this way."

"So what are we going to do?" Kuro asked.

Before Maki could speak, I said, "I'm planning on ignoring him. If he's going to ignore me, I'll ignore him back unless something happens."

"Is that wise?" Maki asked as his frown deepened.

I shrugged my shoulders and returned to my drawing, "Don't really care right now. Maybe if I ignore him long enough, he actually stop ignoring me to find out why."

"And using that logic," Kuro said drawing both Maki and I's attention, "He'll tell you why he ignored you,"

"That's the plan," I looked at Maki, "Any better ideas?"

"At this moment, no," He looked at me with a sigh, "Storm you need to be careful around him,"

I snorted and rolled my eyes before turning back to my drawing, "I already know that Maki. I can see the darkness in his eyes and his bounty poster said a shit load about it. I'll be as careful as I feel like."

"Curiosity killed the cat," He commented prompting a snort from me.

"It may have killed the cat, yet satisfaction always brings it back," I retort with a smirk.

* * *

When Law was heading up to his room, he paused at seeing Ariun's door halfway open. Thunder was booming once again, yet no whimpering could be heard. He decided to look inside and close the door behind him once he satisfied his curiosity. He found Ariun curled up between Maki and Kuro with Kuro snoring loud enough to drown out any sign of thunder. The sight caused a twisting feeling in his gut. Sighing, he closed the door and headed up to his room. He was too tired to deal with this shit.

* * *

He ended up tossing and turning all night. It was around 6 in the morning when he decided to get up. He got ready for the day and walked downstairs. He was surprised to find Ariun already up and staring out of a window with a coffee cup in her hand. She glanced at him as he came down before turning away from him. He frowned before deciding that she was probably feeling like being quiet this morning. He was surprised two hours later when Bepo and Buck walked down. Ariun grinned at them and said, "Good morning boys. Ya sleep well?"

"Yeah didn know you were a mornin' person, Darlin'," Buck commented with a slight grin, "How are ya?"

"I'm feeling good," She looked at Bepo, "How about you Sweetie?"

Bepo smiled brightly at her, "I'm good. Do you know what's for breakfast?"

"It's bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and something with fish in it," She answered making Law wonder why she hadn't told him, "It smells fairly good,"

"We should wake up everyone else," Buck commented and Ariun nodded.

Buck and Ariun went upstairs to wake everyone while Bepo looked at him, "Good Morning Captain."

"Bepo did something happen yesterday?" Law asked him.

"Not that I know of," The bear looked slightly confused, "Why?"

"Nothing," Law sighed and decided that it was probably nothing.

* * *

Law was surprised when Ariun agreed to go drinking with the rest of the crew. Kuro and Maki came as well, but neither male drank much. Rather than sit next to him like she had before, Ariun was all over the bar chatting with locals as well as other members of the crew. It was an odd change, but he put it down to her finding out the information he wanted. Because of this thought, he was surprised when Ariun didn't try to speak with him at any point on the way back to the hotel or even when they were heading up to their rooms. He decided that she was probably waiting until the morning to speak with him.

* * *

"Good morning guys," I greeted everyone when I sat down between Maki and Kuro.

"Morning," Everyone seemed tired and worn out most likely from the last few nights being spent drunk.

I mentally snickered, but stayed quiet to help them ease their hangovers. Once breakfast was over, I headed up to my room and grabbed one of the notebooks I grabbed during my shopping trip with Law the first day on the island. I spent the day writing down the information I had gathered last night and planned on going out again tonight to get some more. When I finished writing down the information, I decided to read a book until evening when it would be a good time to go to a bar.

* * *

"Hey Ari-chan," Shachi called as I walked downstairs, "Where ya going?"

"To a bar," I heard a few groans, "Anyone want to come?"

"Nah," I was waved off.

"I'll see ya guys later," I headed outside into the light rain.

I made it to the bar from last night and slipped inside. I settled myself into one of the secluded corners after ordering myself some food and some alcohol. I spent the evening listening to people talk. Without being able to see me easily, the locals had much looser lips. I was easily able to glean important information once everyone had a few rounds in their system.

* * *

Law decided to find Ariun and ask her what she found only for her room to be empty. Frowning, he walked down the stairs and asked, "Where is Ariun-ya?"

"She went to a bar," Shachi answered with a slight shrug.

"Did anyone go with her?" He asked as his frown deepened.

"No since all of us are still a little bit hungover from the last few days," Penguin answered and looked at him with a frown, "Did you want us to Captain?"

He decided it wasn't worth it at the moment, "It would be better if you had, but Ariun-ya can take care of herself," He turned to Bepo, "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

He walked up to his room and took out one of the medical books he had recently bought.

* * *

Once it got fairly late and most of the people that worked at the docks had went home, I began getting ready to leave until I heard, "Yeah the boss is happy that we're charging those pirates through the nose."

"Damn didn't think old man Wink would do that," I turned my head and found a pair of guys sitting at a table, "He's always been welcoming to pirates,"

"Not since his daughter was taken by that group under Joker," One of them grumbled, "Damn old man hasn't been right since,"

"I doubt he would be," The other shivered, "I pity the old man,"

The first one nodded, "Yeah. Hey did you see that girl with them?"

"The one with the spotted hair?" I felt my lips twitch.

"Yeah. She was pretty hot," I looked both over and mentally snorted as the guy commented, "I wonder if she's looking for someone to sleep with,"

"She was in here yesterday," I felt a shiver go down my spine, "I hope she comes back in here,"

"Yeah," The two moved onto another discussion and this time it was about the place they store the money.

I left the bar once they got too drunk to understand and headed back to the hotel. Once there, I wrote down all the information I gathered before getting ready for bed and falling asleep.

 **End**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law was surprised to find that Ariun still hasn't tried to speak with him at all or actually interact with him at all during their week on the island. He was getting pissed off at her and tomorrow was the day before the log pose set. Frowning deeply, he decided to find out where she was. Walking out of his room, he walked down the stairs and asked Penguin, "Where is Ariun-ya?"

Penguin looked up from his cards with a frown, "I think she went to the bar again."

He felt his annoyance rise and asked, "Did she say when she would be back?"

"No Captain," Shachi answered making Law want to grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Did you need her for something Captain?" Maki asked as he looked up from his medical book.

Law looked at the silver haired male and frowned in irritation as he saw slight amusement in his golden eyes. Did he have something to do with Ariun ignoring him? Resisting the urge to growl, he said, "I need to speak with her."

"Really?" Kuro pipped up with a frown, "You seem dead set on ignoring her,"

Law felt like dismembering the duo upon hearing those words. The fact the other crew members in the room were looking at him with raised eyebrows made him want to do the same to them. God damn it why the hell did they have to be here? He was about to speak when the door to the hotel opened up and Ariun entered the building. She shook her head after closing the door behind her sending water droplet flying. When she finished, she walked towards the stairs while calling over her shoulder, "I'm going to be in my room if you need me."

Law barely held in a growl of anger at being ignored. He could feel his crew looking at him, but ignored it as he turned towards the stairs. He had more important things to do than deal with them. Like interrogating a certain leopard zoan.

* * *

I walked into my room and immediatly began tugging my jacket off. Once it was off, I flung it towards one of the chairs in my room and ran a hand through my hair. I sighed softly as I felt the snags in it and murmured, "Too much fucking rain."

The chill the rain gave was in some ways worse than snow. It seemed to sink into my very bones and cause discomfort. I wondered if it was a cat thing or something. I sighed and walked towards the bathroom to get a towel. I had just put my hand on it when there was a knock on my door. Sighing softly, I grabbed my towel and walked towards the door. I opened the door and found Law standing there. I gave him a raised eyebrow and he said, "Ariun-ya we need to talk."

Snorting softly, I waved for him to come in and closed the door behind him while pushing down the confusion that rose up inside of me. I turned to Law and began to towel dry my hair, "What's wrong?"

"You've been ignoring me," He replied looking at me with a glare, "Why?"

"Why have you been ignoring me?" I retorted and heard him growl softly.

"I haven't been ignoring you-" He began to protest making me start to get angry.

"Yes you have," I cut him off with a growl, "You've been avoiding me since that night on the roof and even more since you helped me fall asleep the night after," He opened his mouth and I glared at him in return, "Do not bother denying it. Everyone can tell something's off about you,"

"And you didn't think to inform me-" He began to argue.

"I don't know you well enough to know what to fucking do anything," The irritation and slight pain at having him ignore me over the last few days was boiling over, "I don't know what I did to make you want to avoid me, but god damn it I'm fucking sorry!" I grit my teeth, "I've been ignoring you because I couldn't figure out what I did to make you ignore me," I tried to calm myself down, "I've been focusing on gathering the information we need to steal from those guys since I didn't want to deal with the fact you threw my trust back at me,"

* * *

Law felt his eyes widen as her words sank in. He had been ignoring her hadn't he? The fact that he had hurt her doing so made the realization a bit worse. He tried to make the feeling go away by reminding himself that she made him remember his sister and Corazan, but it only made the feeling worse. God damn it he messed up. He grit his teeth before doing something he rarely did, "I'm sorry."

Ariun seemed to freeze making him want to chuckle at how comical she looked. Her eyes were wide and her hands stilled in the middle of drying her hair. She also seemed to have stopped breathing. She seemed to recover after a few minutes to hoarsely ask, "What?"

Immediately the amusement of the situation faded and he found himself growling, "I said I was sorry."

She swallowed and muttered, "I heard you the first time...fuck this is...surprising."

"No kidding," He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Silence fell around them for a few minutes before Ariun said, "Well that's nice I guess," She smiled sheepishly at him, "So did you need anything else?"

"Did you find out anything useful?" He was happy to get away from the awkward situation.

She nodded with a slight grin, "Did I ever!"

As she walked over to the small desk in the room, he found himself smiling slightly. While she may have made him remember Corazan and Lami, she was Ariun through and through.

* * *

By the time I had finished giving Law all the information had gathered, it was well passed midnight. I stood up from the chair at the desk and cracked my back with a sigh. Law chuckled and asked, "Not used to sitting still for very long?"

"Not in that position at least," I yawned softly, "I take it that we'll be informing the others tomorrow?"

"Yes," He stood up as well and headed for the door, "Goodnight Ariun-ya,"

"Night," I headed over to my bags to grab a tank-top and a pair of shorts for bed.

I heard him leave and sighed softly in relief. Hopefully this means Law won't be cold anymore.

* * *

As Law laid down in his bed for the night, he found himself recalling how Ariun looked when she was ranting at him. The glare she gave him made her eyes seem to darken and lighten. Her amethyst eye seemed like it was glowing while her emerald eye seemed to darken and made him feel like it was a green portal to hell. He recalled the way her hair seemed to stiffen and her tail swished behind her like a snake. He had to admit that he rather liked seeing her angry. He tried to push the image away in order to sleep. After all, tomorrow would be an important day.

* * *

I walked down stairs and found most of the crew up. They looked at me in concern and Shachi asked, "You okay Ari-chan?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" I felt somewhat confused.

"Captain was angry yesterday," Penguin answered and I realized what they were worried about.

"Guys I'm fine," I rolled my eyes, "Law is too-"

"Law is what?" I looked behind me and saw Law looking at me curiously.

Smiling at him, I answered his question, "They thought you might have done something to me because you were angry yesterday."

Law rolled his eyes and looked at the rest of the crew, "You all really think I would hurt Ariun-ya?"

The only answer was the rest of the crew looking away and finding various objects around the room interesting. Rolling my eyes, I said, "Guys let's eat."

They quickly got up and went to the dining room where food was being served. Maki and Kuro looked at me curiously prompting me to smirk at them.

* * *

Breakfast passed quickly and Law called the crew to order. We spent most of the morning and the afternoon going over the information. We made a tentative plan and it was decided that we would use the evening to observe the place we were going to rob. Maki, Shachi, Penguin, Kaze and a crew member by the name of Atsushi went with me to the place. While Shachi, Penguin, and Atsushi were on the ground, Maki and Kaze were with me on the roof tops. Maki and I were well versed in jumping across gaps and moving unseen by the few people not in their home. Kaze it seemed was as well. We reached the area around the building and I jumped down easily. Maki and Kaze climbed down quickly. Shachi whistled softly as I landed on my feet and commented, "So is the myth that cats always land on their feet true?"

"Common misconception," Maki answered before I could making me pout at him, "Storm fell on her face plenty of times,"

"Asshole," I growled before looking at the building ahead of us, "So how do you guys usually do this stuff?"

"We don't," Shachi answered with a small blush, "We don't usually sneak around,"

I felt like groaning at being around amateurs before Kaze spoke, "I have experience."

Immediately, my mood went up and I gave the sixteen year old a grin, "What do you usually do when staking out a place?"

"I look for the various entrances and try to find out if there are any guards," He explained seeming surprised by my question, "If there are guards, I watch them for a day or two to find a pattern in their routine. If not, I try to see if there are any traps without tripping them,"

Nodding my head, I looked at the others, "Okay we're going to do just as Kaze said."

"Really?" They seemed confused.

"Really. The kid just outlined what I used to do when trying to break into a place," They looked at me in surprise and I grinned at them, "What didn't think I would be the type of person to do that?"

"Well..." Penguin and Shachi both looked sheepish while Atsushi shook his head.

Maki tapped my shoulder making me look at him, "Where should we divide?"

"Penguin goes with me, Shachi goes with Maki," I began to divide everyone, "and Kaze goes with Atsushi," I was given a blank look from everyone bar Maki, "Guys working in pairs is much easier than working in groups. You guys," I gesture to Shachi, Penguin, and Atsushi, "You guys haven't done anything like this before. We," I gesture to Kaze, Maki, and I, "Have. Maki you take the left side," I looked at Kaze, "Mind taking the right side?" He nodded, "I'll take the center. Kaze, Maki, and I will focus on the aerial view. Shachi, Penguin, and Atsushi will take to the ground. Meet with your partner ever ten minutes to discuss what you see,"

"When will we meet up again?" Kaze asked with a small frown.

"Two hours sound good?" I asked and gained a round of nods, "Meet here in two hours. We'll figure out what to do after that," I offered the group a smile, "Let's make sure we learn enough to get a damn good haul,"

I was given grins and we split up. I was about to start climbing when Penguin asked, "Ari-chan mind if I ask a question?"

"Sure what's up?" I looked at him curiously.

"Why do you know stuff like this?" He asked nervously.

I sighed softly and ran a hand through my hair, "My past isn't a good thing Penguin. A lot of the time, my life was crap," I bit my lip before offering, "Once we leave this island, I'll tell Shachi, Bepo, Buck, and you about my past."

"Why not the rest of the crew?" He frowned at me.

"Penguin I have trust issues," I explained and gained a look of realization, "I'll tell them in time, but I haven't spent more than a few moments around them," He nodded, "Let's get this job done kay?"

"Yeah!" He raced off and I shook my head.

"They're good guys," I murmured softly in bemusement.

 **end**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Two hours later, we were once again standing together. Maki spoke once everyone had settled in a somewhat covered area to get out of the light rain, "There are a few guards, but not many. They seem to change every hour and from what I've seen, they only guard the opening towards the sea where the ships are and the entrances."

"It's the same on our end," Kaze state and I nodded as well.

"I managed to see three seperate skylights," I offered and got a nod from the other two that went on the roof, "Anything on the ground?"

"The building has a low chain-link fence surrounding it on the three sides we checked," Penguin said after a few moments, "The holding area for the ships doesn't have a fence, but there are two guard stations,"

Nodding my head, I looked at Kaze and Maki, "Either of you notice any other ways to get in?"

"Other than the entrances and the holding area, I saw a broken window on the second floor," Kaze said making me look at him, "Why?"

"I'm going to use an ability of mine to get inside and see what I can find out about the layout," I replied and got a few raised eyebrows.

Maki frowned at me, "You're going in alone?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm the only one with the ability to do that unless one of you guys have some sort of useful ability to sneak into places."

I was given a few nervous looks before Shachi asked, "Ari-chan are you sure you should do that?"

"The information will be useful," I sighed softly, "I've done this plenty of times before,"

"Be that as it may, shouldn't we give the information we have to Captain first?" Atsushi asked making me shrug.

"You guys can do that," I suggest while trying to hold back the small amount of annoyance building inside of me as I reasoned that they were being difficult because they cared, "We need the lay out so that we don't waste time running around. We'll need to get in and get out as quickly as possible you guys," They still looked like they wanted to argue while Maki was rolling his eyes, "Law wants as much information about this place as possible. I'm going inside to find out what I can,"

They shifted around prompting me to glare at them. They gave in with Maki and Kaze staying behind. I watched the three run off towards the hotel before turning towards Kaze and Maki. Kaze looked between us before saying, "Follow me."

* * *

Once Kaze showed me where the broken window was, I felt like grinning upon seeing it. The window was opening and closing with each blast of wind. We watched as someone walked by and pulled it closed. It stuck like that for a few moments before opening again. I looked at my partners and said, "Alright. I'm going to climb up and get inside. I'll be inside for an hour to an hour and a half. Once I get what I need, I'll get out and we'll head back to the hotel."

"Alright," Maki agreed since this was our usual protocol.

"How will you get around without being seen?" Kaze asked and I smirked at him.

Standing from my crouched position, I said, "Now you see me and," Coldness washed over me, "Now you don't."

I shivered slightly at the chill and began walking backwards. Once I deemed myself far enough, I raced forward and shot through the air. I landed with a small thump just in front of the chain link fence and sighed in relief. I was relieved that the ground was paved and not made of mud even if that would have softened the landing. Moving forward, I observed the wall and saw that the stone on the building was rather rough. I extended my claws and began to climb up the stone wall. I moved around the windows in my way towards the second floor window that was my target and listened carefully as I waited for someone to come by. I heard booted footsteps and a curse being said in a rather deep baritone, "F'ckin' dam'at wh't's wit' h'is winda? W'h can' it sta' closed?"

The window was shut and the footsteps moved away. The window opened after a particularly bad blast of wind and I quickly made my way inside. I grimaced at the feeling of grit between my fingers and promised myself that I would wash my hands soon. I transformed into my leopard form and observed the area carefully. I was in a dimly lit, to humans, hallway that had doors on every five to ten feet. I sighed softly at see that and knew that this was going to be a long night.

* * *

By the time an hour had passed, I had the layout stuck in my mind, but it wouldn't help us if I couldn't find the stupid room they're keeping everything. I searched for ten more minutes before deciding it was a lost cause at the moment. It didn't help that the chill from my power was getting worse by the minute. I mentally growled as I carefully made my way up to the second floor. I was beginning to head for the window I used to get in when I heard voices coming towards me. Sticking close to the shadows, I watched as two men walked upstairs carrying sacks. One of them, a blonde, groaned, "This is the last of the stuff right?"

"Yup," The other, a bald guy, said with a slight grin, "We can go get our drinks!"

"I wonder why the boss wanted all the money and stuff set in his office," The blonde mused.

"Probably to keep the pirates from getting their hands on it if they try to steal from us," I rolled my eyes and followed the guys carefully.

They reached a rather plain looking door and knocked on it. An aged voice called out, "Bruno, Larse t'at ya g'ys?"

"Yeah boss," The bald guy said and the door opened, "Last of the shit,"

The two walked inside and I carefully slipped in as well. I eyed the room and saw that it was rather bland. I watched as an old man with salt and pepper hair waved to the duo to place the two sacks into a rather large hole in the wall. Once they did that, the old man covered the hole with a rather large painting and waved the two off. They walked out of the office and I slipped out behind them and watched as one of them closed the window. The blonde muttered, "God damn it! Why the hell won't this thing stay closed?"

"Because it's old," The bald guy groaned, "Let's go Larse. We need to meet the guys at the bar,"

"Think the hot spotted haired girl will be there?" I rolled my eyes and waited for the window to open as the two walked down the hall towards the stairs.

I transformed into my human form and carefully left the building.

* * *

After getting back to the others and letting go of my invisibility, I groaned softly as I leaned against Maki. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him as Kaze asked, "What's wrong with her?"

"That ability is taxing," Maki explained before looking at me, "Want me to carry you back?"

I was tempted to say no, but agreed. Maki turned and crouched down. I climbed onto his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. He stood up while taking hold of my knees and looked at Kaze. The grey haired teen looked between us before shaking his head and taking off.

* * *

Law was sitting with the members of his crew looked up upon hearing the door to the hotel open. Kaze walked in with Maki following him. To the surprise of everyone there, Ariun was being carried by Maki on his back. Kuro immediatly stood up and made his way over to the pair while asking, "How long?"

Maki answered the question while allowing Kuro to take Ariun, "An hour and forty-five minutes."

"Damn it," Kuro cursed while allowing Ariun to lean against him, "Get her food. I'll get her settled,"

Maki nodded and left while Kuro helped Ariun over to an unoccupied couch. Surprisingly, Ariun made no move to speak out against the treatment she was receiving which made his slight alarm grow. Standing up from his seat next to Bepo, he made his way over to the couch as Ariun laid down. Her eyes were closed though they opened when he approached. She looked at him tiredly and he disliked how pale she was. He began to reach out to check her temperature as she said, "I got the layout of the building and know where they're keeping what we want."

He nodded his head before hissing softly at how cold her skin felt. It was like touching an ice cube! He immediatly demanded, "Why are you so cold?"

"My ability to turn invisible," Ariun answered softly making his eyes narrow, "My body starts to get cold after an hour of use,"

"Why didn't you mention it before?" He demanded as Maki approached.

"You didn't ask about it," He was really starting to hate that answer.

Maki and Kuro seemed to ignore everyone else as they had Ariun sitting up. Kuro slid into the seat behind her and held her up as Maki held out a large bowl of soup. Ariun took it and immediately began to eat. As soon as she finished, her eyes closed and she slumped against Kuro. Maki took the bowl before it could crash to the ground and ordered Kuro, "Take her to her room."

"Right," Kuro stood up and lifted Ariun up from the couch.

Maki left the room as Kuro walked up the stairs and both ignored the looks they were getting from the rest of the crew. Law felt like growling at being ignored and immediatly followed after Kuro after ordering the rest, "You're dismissed. Do not both Ariun for the rest of the night."

* * *

He found Kuro setting Ariun under the covers of her bed after removing her boots and white jacket. Kuro looked at him and sighed, "Please wait until Maki gets here. We'll explain everything we can."

Law gritted his teeth, but sat down in one of the chairs. He watched as Kuro looked at Ariun and brushed the loose strands of her hair off her face. He did so in what could only be described as a brotherly way. The action surprisingly enough pushed his irritation away and prompted him to ask, "Why do you care for her so much?"

Kuro looked at him and instead of reacting like he usually would, he smiled softly, "Ariun's my cousin on my dad's side. Her mom was my dad's youngest sister."

"I thought she didn't have any family left," He admitted since her past pretty much said she didn't have family.

Kuro let out a small laugh, "Yeah most people end up thinking that once they hear about her past," He shook his head and looked at Ariun, "If you talked to most of our family, you'd think Storm wasn't one of us."

"Why?" He could somewhat comprehend that due to what he had seen and heard the pink bastard do to his own.

"To them, Storm's an accident," Kuro actually looked at bit angry and sad, "To them, Storm shouldn't exist," Kuro took a deep breath as Ariun shifted slightly, "The only ones that actually acknowledge her willingly are my dad, my mom, and I," Kuro looked up at him, "When Storm's mom died, they pretty much left her on the streets to die. My parents couldn't find her until six months after her mom died when her caretakers took her to my parents restaurant to eat dinner," Kuro let out a small laugh, "When my mom tried to hug her, the little brat pretty much dove into the leader of her caretaker's lap after turning into a kitten and wouldn't come down until my mom explained everything while promising her caretaker's that she wouldn't hurt Storm,"

"Why do you call her that?" Law felt the need to ask and had finally found a good reason to ask.

"Storm?" Kuro asked and gained a nod, "Well part of it's due to her being born during a really big snow storm. Another part is that when she decides to do something, she will do it regardless of the consequences like a storm blowing in when it isn't needed," The braided haired brunette smiled down at the leopard zoan user, "When she becomes friends with someone and they're in trouble, she fight to protect them with all her power making it seem like you're facing hurricane or something," Kuro then shrugged, "Storm's just Storm,"

"She's our little sister," Maki cut in making Law wonder when he came in, "Now I assume it's time we talked,"

 **End.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law watched as Maki took a seat on the bed while Kuro grabbed a chair. Both seemed slightly nervous, he could somewhat understand because of what he had heard about their past so far. Kuro took a deep breath as if to calm himself, "Okay, so where should we start?"

"What other problems does the ability cause Ariun-ya?" Law asked deciding to start it off simple for their benefit.

"Other than what you saw?" Kuro clarified and gained a nod from Law, "Maki?"

Maki rolled his eyes, "Normally, Ariun won't be that weak after using her ability, but it's been awhile since she actually used it and she went past what we assumed was her limit."

"Assumed?" Law frowned upon hearing that and wondered why they hadn't tested the ability out as much as possible.

"We've never really been able to test her ability," Maki explained with a small sigh, "Either due to problems with Storm's financial situation, us being busy, dealing with various people that hated Storm, and regular problems that pop up, we didn't have much time," Law felt a small amount of understanding, "We also didn't want to push her too hard lest her body give out,"

"I see and one hour is what you perceived as her limit without it causing much harm to her?" Law asked with some curiosity.

Maki nodded with a slight frown, "Yes. Another problem caused by her ability is a need to eat a lot. It apparently burns a lot of calories."

"Which explains why she's 24 pounds underweight," Law frowned deeply.

"Storm's body temperature plummets as you no doubt found," Law looked at Ariun and saw her shivering, "As you saw with her blood, the ability never truly shuts off which causes her body's natural body temperature to be lower than normal," Maki continued on, "Other than that, we've noticed that she falls asleep more often,"

"Which is a bonus if she hasn't slept in awhile," Kuro tossed in his two cents with a grin and got two glares in response, "Sorry. I'll keep the comments to myself,"

"Storm also becomes more...clingy I guess you could say," Maki grimaced while Law's eyebrow rose at the slightly disturbed tone of voice, "The reason being is that she is a cat and cat's dislike being cold, so..."

"So she's looking for a good heater," Kuro finished the thought with a laugh, "I guess she's going to spend more time with Bepo for the next few days once she wakes up,"

Law was in the middle of being amused as hell by that and annoyed. He came to a rather quick realization that Ariun might try to 'cling' to him as Maki put it as she had remarked that he was fairly warm. He decided to ask about that, "Ariun-ya has mentioned that I'm rather warm."

Kuro and Maki looked at him in surprise before Kuro started laughing loudly. He did so for awhile until Ariun groaned and muttered, "Kuro shut the hell up before I kick you where the sun don't fucking shine."

They all looked at her and Law chuckled. Maki shook his head before looking at Law, "Storm will likely go for either Bepo, you, or me. Devil fruit users are naturally more warm to the touch do to our abilities while Bepo's a bear and from what I've seen, bears are really warm."

Law nodded having come to that realization and asked, "Are there any other side effects?"

Maki frowned and opened his mouth only for Kuro to speak, "Yeah there's one more," The normally grinning and playful brunette looked grim making a shiver go up Law's spine, "If Storm uses that ability more than eight times a day, she will start to cough up blood. If that happens, she needs to stop immediatly," Law felt alarm go through him and ice seemed to lodge itself in his heart, "Storm's limit is eight times a day. If she does it anymore, her body will start to collapse."

Law saw the haunted look in Kuro's eyes and the surprised realization in Maki's. It seemed that Kuro had been the only one to know. Law asked the question that popped up before he even realized it was there, "How do you know?"

"Storm and I were getting into trouble like we usually did," Kuro explained as he seemed to pale, "We ended up going into a bunch of diffrent houses and stealing what took our fancy. Storm went in invisible first then I followed once she gave the all clear," Kuro's eyes seemed to glaze over, "We were looking for another house after stealing from seven others. We found this really fucking nice one and stored our shit in my room since we were nearby. Storm went inside like usual and did the whole check, but when she turned back, I saw blood on her lips and she was coughing," He grit his teeth, "Storm just played it off by saying that she bit her lip open," He shook his head and balled up his hands, "Fucking idiot me believed her. We ended up see a few other houses and did the same thing. It was getting worse. We got to three houses before she collapsed. She was coughing up so much blood,"

Law was surprised to see a tear run down the brunette's face. Kuro fell silent and Law sat there as Maki seemed to comfort the brunette. He grimaced as he realized just how much that ability took out of Ariun and that he should have asked these questions before even trying to add Ariun into his plans. He needed to find out more about Ariun's abilities and soon. Law spoke after a few minutes, "Is there anything else I need to know now?"

"Not that I know of," Maki answered and Kuro nodded in agreement.

"Will Ariun be able to move about freely tomorrow?" He asked since they would need her once they got inside the building.

"If she eats enough, she should be able to help us," Maki looked at him, "After that, she'll need a day or two to rest,"

Law nodded and turned to leave the room, "I thank you for informing me. Goodnight."

"Night Captain," The two replied and Law knew that neither would leave Ariun alone tonight.

* * *

After he informed those still in the living room and those that he passed on the way back up the stairs, Law went to bed. As he laid back to sleep, he found himself thinking of what had happened in the living room. God Ariun had been so pale. It had been like looking at a corpse or ghost rather than a living person. In fact, her hair and eyes seemed dull in comparison to the usual life that seemed to fill them. He looked at his hand and recalled how cold she had been. He couldn't even feel any body heat radiating off of her. He frowned deeply as the image of Ariun coughing up blood popped up in his mind. He pushed that away as a cold feeling seemed to settle on him. It felt immensely wrong for someone that made him remember his sister and Corazan to be like that. He growled to himself and pushed those thoughts away. He needed to sleep and be ready for what would happen tomorrow.

* * *

He looked up as footsteps came down the stairs and found Ariun walking down them. She was gripping the railing and stopping every few steps. He realized what was most likely going to occur and stood up from his seat. He made it to the stairs just as Ariun missed a step and began to fall. He caught her and immediatly frowned at how cold she felt. While not the ice cold from yesterday, she was still colder than she should have been. Ariun looked at him in sleepy disbelief, "Law?"

"Ariun-ya you should be more careful walking down stairs," He commented while noticing that she seemed to be moving closer to him.

"I'm normally really balanced," She defended herself and it was true she could.

Law chuckled and found the small pout she gave rather cute. He pushed that thought aside and decided to tease her, "Yet, you once again fell into my arms."

"The first time you caught me," She blushed and was relieved to see some of her usual color returning.

"Hm True," He agreed and she looked around with a slight frown, "What's wrong?"

"Where are Buck and Bepo?" She looked at him with slight confusion, "Aren't those two usually up by now?"

He chuckled and shook his head while moving over to the couch he had claimed a few days ago, "It's around 6: 30 in the morning Ariun-ya. Buck and Bepo are normally up around 8."

"I woke up at 6:30?!" Her eyes widened comically making him chuckle, "Oi! It's not funny!"

He set Ariun down and sat next to her as he commented, "I find the expression of disbelief on your face amusing."

She rolled her eyes while grumbling, "Yeah. Of course you'd find that fucking amusing," He chuckled while noticing her leaning into his side and found that he didn't mind it all that much even as her tail curled around his waist, "What are you doing up so early?"

He contemplated how to answer that as he absentmindedly scratched behind one of her ears. On the one hand, he could admit that he dreamed of finding Ariun coughing up blood with the pink bastard using his ability to hold him back. On the other hand, he could just blame his insomnia while ignoring the existence of that dream as it was a recurring nightmare. Deciding what to do, he said, "I have insomnia remember."

Ariun hummed and nodded while seemingly trying to burrow into his side without noticing, "Oh right. Forgot about that."

He chuckled and was surprised to find Ariun transforming into her leopard form. She curled up against him while laying her head in his lap and seemed to fall asleep. He laughed quietly and returned his attention to the book he had brought down to read until the crew was awake.

* * *

I groaned softly as I slowly woke up and opened my eyes to see Buck chuckling. Bepo walked down the stairs and I lazily waved my tail at the bear. I was tempted to stay curl up with whatever was providing the amazing amount of heat, but my stomach growling convinced me to do otherwise. I stretched out a bit and yawned softly only to purr at the feeling of someone scratching behind my ears. I easily recognized Law's sent and realized that he was the one doing it. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't angry at him for doing it and really wished for him to continue doing it, but unfortunately my stomach had other ideas. With a low sigh, I pulled away from Law and jumped off the couch I had been curled up on. I stretched out fully and shifting back, "Morning you two."

"Mornin' Darlin'," Buck replied with a chuckling, "Have a good nap?"

"Yup," I turned my head to look at Law, "You are a really good pillow,"

Law looked at me in amusement, "I haven't heard that one before."

"Well now you have," I yawned softly.

I was surprised when Bepo walked over to me and hugged me. I stiffened before hugging the bear and almost sighed at how warm he was. I found myself rubbing my cheek against his. He pulled away from me after a few moments and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks Sweetie," I was marginally surprised at the nickname that came out of my mouth before reasoning that he was just too cute to not have one, "I feel better too though I really could use some food,"

"Let's wake the others up an get some grub," Buck announced.

* * *

Once everyone was up, we all began to eat breakfast. As per usual with my power, I found myself consuming more than usual. The crew seemed to be both slightly worried and amused, but largely ignored how much I was eating and the fact it was mostly meat. After breakfast, Law made a few announcements including, "We'll be staying on the island for the rest of the day though we'll get our ship from the hanger and place it at the docks. We will proceed with the plan tonight and leave under the cover of night understand?"

"Aye Captain!" Everyone said before heading about their business.

Sometime after breakfast, I found myself looking for Law while munching on an apple. I found him in his room and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "Ariun-ya is there something wrong?"

"No I just wanted to tell you that I'm heading to the local sweetshop," I informed him while wondering what I did to make him think every time I approached him something was wrong.

"May I ask why?" He looked rather amused, "You don't seem to be the fan of candy,"

"It's not that I'm not a fan of it, I just never really ate it when I was young," I admitted while leaning against the doorframe, "I'm going to the local sweetshop to grab some snacks and stuff," I finished off my apple and tossed the core into the nearby garbage can while pulling another one out of my jacket pocket, "The sugar will help me recover my energy faster and help me tonight,"

Law seemed surprised for some reason, "You're actually willingly giving information about your ability."

I rolled my eyes with a small huff though a stab of guilt hit me. I offered him a sheepish smile after a few minutes, "Sorry about not informing you about this stuff before. You need to understand that we've never really had someone want to know this stuff unless they were trying to use me," I ran a hand through my hair, "I don't really know what you actually need or want to know. I'll try to tell you stuff if I think of it, but it's somewhat ingrained inside of me to not."

Law was silent for a few moments before sighing, "I understand what you're saying and I'll try not to get frustrated if things happen," He gave me a warm smile that caught me off guard and made me feel warm inside for some reason, "I guess we both have things we need to learn."

"I guess so," I giggled and shook my head, "Want me to pick anything up for you?"

"I'll go with you since I wish to visit the bookstore again," He replied making me want to grin.

It seemed that he wasn't going to be cold again and that relieved me more than I would admit.

 **End**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"How did you figure out candy made it easier for you to regain energy?" Law asked Ariun as they walked through town.

Ariun hummed softly, "Well I got really sick one time after using my ability and Kuro got me my favorite candy to cheer me up," She smiled softly as if it was a good memory and Law decided that it probably was, "It made me feel better. Not so tired, I mean," She ran a hand through her hair, "We tested it out a few times and Maki theorized that my body would automatically use the energy the candy provided to help me recover. It only works if I use my ability though."

Law theorized that it was probably the result of whatever it was that gave her the ability in the first place. He wondered if she was talking about the incident Kuro spoke of. He would have to ask at some point and would definitely add this to her file. He was about to speak when they reached the shop Ariun was looking for. She immediatly ran inside with a look of joy on his face. He chuckled and watched her look at the various candies the shop had to offer. She was acting like a little kid though he theorized it was because of her past. She probably hadn't had many sweets after her mother died. He grimaced slightly and pushed those thoughts away for another time.

* * *

"Ariun-ya?" Law asked making her look at him.

"Yeah?" She was currently standing by an open jewelry stall.

"What are you doing?" He watched her look at the things the stall was selling before looking back at him.

She shrugged her shoulders and returned to looking, "I'm trying to find something for Kuro."

"Why?" He couldn't even begin to figure out why she wanted to get _Kuro_ of all people something from a _jewelry_ stall.

She hummed softly and moved towards where the stall had a selection of decorative hair pieces, "His birthday is in less than a month. I need to get him something."

He stared at her incredulously, "Why from a jewelry stall?"

She looked at him and smiled, "Kuro likes jewelry and stuff. He used to work for one of the local jewelry shops before he quit when he found out his boss hated me."

She returned to looking at the jewelry before her and Law felt like groaning. Of course there was more shit he didn't know about his newest crewmates. Honestly, he should have known more about them by now then he actually did. With everyone else, he had known all their secrets by the beginning of the second month. They were now in the middle of that month. He shook his head and looked at the jewelry since it was the only thing he could do at the moment. He found himself looking at a rather interesting looking set of rings. They were larger than normal and on the thin side. One was made of gold and the other was made of obsidian. The pair had strange symbols etched into them. He frowned down at them and leaned forward to take a closer look. He was slightly surprised when the stall owner called out, "Sir. Do those rings interest you?"

He looked up at the robed stall owner, "Slightly. They do not seem like regular rings."

"That's because they aren't," The stall owner grin largely, "They are not made for fingers, but rather tails,"

"Tails?" Ariun asked coming over and looking down at the rings, "Hey these would actually fit my tail,"

Law looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "How do you know?"

She shrugged as the stall own chuckled, "A zoan user?"

"How did you know?" Law asked feeling slightly guarded since Ariun didn't have her tail or ears visible at the moment.

"Relax Surgeon of Death," The stall owner raised his hands, "Any zoan user can recognize another," He flashed them a grinned filled with fangs as a stripped tail swished behind him, "Especially a fellow feline zoan user,"

"I knew I smelled something nearby," Ariun commented while eyeing the man with interest, "Which one are you? You smell of fire and jungels?"

"You've never met another zoan user have you?" The stall owner asked with a raised eyebrow and gained a shake of the head from Ariun, "I am a tiger zoan user. You smell of ice and mountains meaning you are a snow leopard zoan user,"

"How-" Ariun began to ask.

"I knew the previous user of that fruit," He replied making both of them tense, "Calm down both of you. I disliked the previous user do to her being a psychotic bitch working for a shit head, but I have no hate for the newest user," He smiled reassuringly even if it didn't calm either of them down, "How much do you know of your fruit?"

"Enough," Law answered before Ariun could speak.

The man eyed them before nodding, "I see," He picked up the tail rings and held them out to Ariun, "Here take these."

"For free?" She asked with slightly wide eyes.

"I seemed to have made you both tense and that is not what I wished," Ariun looked at him.

He frowned at the man and asked, "What did you wish then?"

The man sighed, "I merely wished to know why she wasn't walking around like a proud zoan user does."

Law's frown deepened at that and Ariun stiffened beside him. She turned to him and murmured, "I'm going to wait on getting that birthday gift for Kuro."

She began to walk away and Law followed after glaring at the stall owner.

* * *

He caught up to her easily and noticed that she was still tense prompting him to say, "Ariun-ya."

"Is it a bad thing that do not walk around openly declaring that I'm a zoan user?" Ariun asked in a soft voice that surprised him.

He looked at her and was surprised to find her eyes dull. He shook off his shock and said, "No. It's your choice not someone else's," He felt relieved to see her smiling and her eyes returning to their regular brightness, "Why did you let his words get to you?"

"I've never met another zoan user," She explained with a sheepish expression on her face, "I guess my shock at meeting another one and his words about the previous user of my fruit got to me," He understood what she meant, "Sorry for walking away like that,"

He waved her apology off, "It's fine. You were the one looking at that stuff," He looked up and noticed that it was getting close to lunch, "We should get something to eat."

Her stomach growled and she nodded in agreement.

* * *

Law led the way to a restaurant and we sat down at a table. I looked over the menu and almost grinned upon seeing the soup selection. A waitress walked up and immediately smiled what she probably thought was a sultry smile, "Hello my names Diana. I'll be your waitress today. How can I help you sir?"

I was surprised to feel a bit of anger towards the woman, but pushed it down as Law looked at me, "Ariun-ya have you chosen what you wanted?"

Immediately, the waitresses eyes went to me and I found her glaring at me. I bit back a cheeky smirk and gave my order. Law then gave his and we watched her walk away. I immediatly commented, "She's going to give you her number and maybe her panties by the time we're finished here."

"Why do you think that?" Law looked at me in amusement and I offered him a grin.

"Because she attempted to give you a sultry smile and batted her eyelashes at you," I pointed out with a slight snort, "She screams desperate and you're hot, so it's probably something you're used to,"

Law chuckled, "It has happened a few times, but I usually give those things to someone else."

I gave him a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"I dislike desperate women," My respect for him went up, "And like you said, she looks desperate,"

"She also doesn't have good looks," I commented offhandedly.

Our drinks and food came just then. Law ignored the waitress and I found myself feeling smug for whatever reason. I however lost my smugness as the bitch 'accidentally' dumped my order onto the table. I barely avoided getting splashed and immediatly glared at the woman as she gasped in fake horror, "Oh my gosh! I'm SO sorry."

I bit back a growl even as my lips curled back into a mockery of a smile, "Oh it's NO was just an 'accident', right?"

"Of course," My nose twitched and I immediatly felt my anger deflate at the fear coming off of her, "L-let m-m-"

"Richards what is going on here?" Someone demanded quite loudly.

"S-sir!" The girl shrieked making my ears hurt.

A large man walked towards us and eyed the waitress with slight anger. I was surprised to feel an arm around my waist and turned my head to see Law frowning, "Sir your waitress has ruined my date with my girlfriend."

I stared at Law in shock only for him to glance at me and smirk. Realizing what he was doing, I mentally crackle and decided to play along.

* * *

In the end, Law and I ate for free with another waitress serving us. When we left the resturant behind, I was content with a full stomach and felt rather warm, "Damn that was good."

I looked at Law as he chuckled, "I'm rather surprised you played along."

I snorted softly, "And miss a free meal? No thanks. Plus, I've done the same thing with Kuro and Maki a few times."

Law looked at me in surprise, "Really?"

Nodding my head, I contemplated what to tell him before saying, "Before they started dating, a lot of people wanted to get their hands on them. Most of the restaurants we went to had waitresses that really liked them and most of them assumed I was their girlfriend."

"Even if Kuro-ya is your cousin?" I froze and looked at Law in surprise, "Kuro told me of your relation last night,"

"Ah," I needed to find out what else he knew, "Did Kuro or Maki tell you anything else?"

"Maki-ya told me more about your ability and the problems that come along with it," I nodded my head already knowing that Maki had done that, "Kuro-ya however told me about the limit of your power,"

"Which limit?" I asked though I already had a feeling about which one.

"The eight times a day," Law replied making me sigh, "Have you extended it or is that the actual limit,"

"It's my limit before my body begins to break down," I replied while trying to figure out what was my actual limit, "11's when my body begins to collapse,"

"How many times have you checked?" I ran a hand through my hair with a slight sigh.

"I've only ever did it once and I don't want to try it again," I shuddered as phantom pain ran through me, "The memory of it still causes me pain to this day," Law was frowning, "It weakened my internal organs and made it impossible for me to move very much for three months. My muscles were pretty much shot to hell during that time as well,"

"Using it burns out your internal organs?" He asked making me shake my head.

"More like freeze the inside of me until I stop using my ability," I corrected him with a slight sigh, "Once I stop using my ability, my body starts to heat up again,"

"Which causes damage over time," Law seemed to realize what happened, "How much time do you usually take between uses?"

"An hour to two if I do it more than once a day," I replied as we continued to walk though I noticed the people walking the streets seemed to thin, "I usually don't use it for a few days to give my body time to recover from using it," I grimaced slightly, "You already saw the result of me not using it for however long we've known each other,"

Law nodded, "I'll add this to your file later."

 **End**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **To Apple Jack: I have never read that story and I do not plan on doing so. Perhaps if you got an actual account, we could speak in further detail without taking up other readers time if they find this somewhat interesting. I wish you a good day or good night.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law was surprised when Ariun stopped walking and started to look around, "Ariun-ya?"

"Law have you been to this part of the island before?" He was surprised by the question and how tense Ariun was.

He looked around and frowned deeply, "No."

Ariun grimaced and opened her mouth to speak when someone chuckled, "Well, well, well what do we have here?"

"A pair o pirates," Law turned and found three men behind them.

"Baby ones too," Law turned his head and found three men walking out of an alley in front of them.

"What should we do with them?" One of the men asked.

Law was silently cursing the fact he didn't have Bepo with them and the fact he had left his nodachi with the bear. Ariun moved closer to him as one of them suggested, "Capture them?"

Ariun drew close to him until he could feel the slight warmth of her against his arms. She spoke quietly enough that only he could hear her, "There are six more on the roofs. Bounty hunters from the look of it. The ones on the roof have guns pointed at us and by the small clicking sound I'm hearing, they're ready to shoot us."

He was slightly amazed at how keen her senses were before pushing it down as he contemplated what to do. They were surrounded on all sides by these people. It was quite obvious that these men were looking for an easy payday since they thought that they were 'baby' pirates which to those men obviously meant weak pirates. He felt slightly angry upon hearing that, but knew it would be useful to them. He spoke in the same soft tone as Ariun, "Do you have any weapons on you?"

"Yeah a few daggers, my scarf, and my staff," She answered while watching the chattering bounty hunters carefully, "Why?"

"May I use one of your daggers?" He asked and gained a slight nod from her, "I'm going to create a Room. Will you be able to take care of the gun men?"

* * *

I considered the distance between us and the walls before nodding slightly, "Yeah, but it'll be hard to get to the walls and have time to climb up while they're shooting at us."

"Do you trust me?" Law asked to my surprise and I looked at him for a few moments before nodding, "I'll get you to the roofs. Just worry about taking out the gunmen without getting hurt,"

I nodded while wondering how he was going to do. I tensed my body slightly to be ready for anything while carefully grabbing one of my daggers. I moved closer to him which made the bounty hunters laugh and someone shouted, "Looks like the little girl is scared and wants her boyfriend!"

I rolled my eyes while handing Law the dagger. He took it while I murmured, "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Where's the closest gunman?" He asked while eyeing the people around us.

"On the right roof, close to the edge," I tilted my head slightly and caught sight of the man, "He's standing with one foot on the railing aiming his gun at us,"

Law nodded his head, "Got it," He held out his hand and called out, "Room."

The blue sphere of his room expanded around us and I felt electricity run across my skin as it passed over me. I resisted the urge to shudder as one of the bounty hunters shouted, "What the fuck?!"

"Shambles," The air around me shifted and suddenly I found myself standing where the gunman had been, "Welcome to my room, let's have some fun shall we?"

I shook off my shock and darted towards one of the shocked gunman. He barely had time to turn his head towards me when I was on him. I pulled out one of my daggers and dug it into his throat. He struggled even as I tore my dagger out of him and I grimaced slightly at the warm feeling of blood splashing against my cheek. I grabbed his gun and aimed it at the gunman on the building across from me. I pulled the trigger and watched as the man dropped with half his head gone in a shower of gore. I dropped the gun and moved quickly towards the other gunman on this roof. He barely had his gun aimed at me before I slammed into him with my dagger. I knocked the gun away from me and slashed his neck open with my dagger. I dropped to the ground quickly after that and heard gunshots. Bullets buried themselves into the roofing. I jumped up with the dead gunman's gun in hand and aimed at the gunner across from me. I shot at him and was rewarded with a spray of blood gushing from his throat. I palmed my dagger and tossed it towards the last gunman just as he aimed his gun at me. I dropped to the ground once more and waited for something to happen. I heard a scream of, "My eye!"

I picked myself up and found the gun man clutching at his bleeding eye. I was slightly disappointed that the dagger hadn't had enough strength to burrow itself into the guy's skull, but decided it didn't matter. I palmed another dagger and shot it towards the last gunman though this time I aimed at his throat. Once the dagger hit, I moved to the roof edge and noticed that Law had remaining bounty hunters taken apart. I jumped down and Law looked at me as I said, "Gunman are taken care of. I need to grab the two daggers I used to finish off the last one."

"Grab them," Law ordered and I nodded to him.

I made my way over to the building and climbed up. I looked at the dead man with my daggers buried inside of him. He was still clutching at his throat even in death. I grabbed my daggers while eyeing the one that should have been embedded in the guy's skull. It was dull making me frown deeply. I had done all my weapons maintenance yesterday before we left to do surveillance. I looked at the man carefully and listened to see if something was odd. I was surprised to hear faint breathing. I grabbed the man and jumped down. Law looked at me as I dropped the man onto the ground and I answered the unasked question, "I did my weapons maintenance yesterday and one of my daggers is dull when I damn well know that every one of them was sharp before we left this morning."

"So?" Law looked at me in curiosity.

"This guy is still somehow breathing," I used my foot to point out the guys neck where blood was still leaking out of the hole, "I used my second dagger on his neck. It drove right into it, yet somehow he's still breathing,"

"Interesting," Law looked at the man before looking at the bounty hunters, "Does this man have a devil fruit?"

"YES! Please don't kill us!" Was the general response.

"Which one?" Law asked only for the group to shout out nonsense.

I grimaced at their shrill shouts and murmured, "We just kill them all and be done with it."

Law glanced at me before nodding, "The crew is most likely preparing for tonight."

"Can you cut off his head?" I asked with a slight frown at the bounty hunters gasps.

"You wish to make sure he is dead," Law stated more than asked though I nodded none the less.

"Just to be sure, I doubt his devil fruit will work if he doesn't have a head anymore," Law chuckled and his room expanded.

I watched as he separated the guys head from his body. I watched with some shock as blood began pour out of the man's severed neck. Law smirked at me, "In my room, I control what happens."

* * *

After Law finished the bounty hunter's off, they made their way back to the hotel. Ariun immediatly head up to her room as Law joined the crew members currently relaxing on the couches. Buck looked at him and asked, "Why did Ariun have blood on her?"

"We were attacked by bounty hunters," He answered the cook.

"Ah," He watched as his crew members relaxed.

They went back to what they were doing which was playing cards. He merely watched having no liking for the game they were playing even if it thoroughly amused him to see them curse when they lost. He was taken from his thoughts when Bepo said, "Captain."

"Yes Bepo," He eyed the box and letter the bear was holding.

"Someone dropped this off for you," The bear held the items out and Law took them carefully.

"What did they look like?" He demanded while trying to figure out what was inside the box without looking.

It was a regular wooden box like what one would usually store jewelry or something in. The bear frowned, "They wore a brown robe that covered their face. I couldn't tell what they smelt like either. I could tell it was a woman from the sound of her voice."

Law frowned and set the box beside him for now. He opened the letter and began to read it:

 _Dear Surgeon of Death,  
_ _I am quite sorry to have caused you or your crewmember any distress. I realize that she was one of the few zoan's to survive outside of the Grandline. You may not know this, perhaps you guessed it but never found any evidence of it, zoan devil fruit users are usually seen as monsters outside of it. The moment we eat our fruit, people no longer see us as humans. The only people who see us as people are the marines and pirates. I also realize that I probably shouldn't have mentioned the previous user of that fruit. It was very rude of me to do so. I believe that by now you are ready to toss this letter away. I will inform you of the gift I've decided to give your Kitten. The tail rings you were looking at earlier. They are made of a special metal made for zoan users. It will expand and contract with your kitten's tail so as to not fall off. I could go on about them, but I assume you wouldn't like to hear from me much longer. My daughter delivered this for me as I knew you would never accept anything from me. If you do not wish to given them to your kitten, I will understand.  
My apologies,  
K.Z.S_

Law's frown grew as he placed the letter down and reached for the box. He opened it up and there were the tail rings from earlier. He closed the box and contemplated what to do when Shachi asked, "Captain what's in the box?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," He stood up and picked up the letter, "Has the sub been brought back to the docks?"

"Yes Captain," Penguin answered, "Everyone's checking to make sure nothing got taken and doing a few last minute checks on our supplies,"

"Good," He turned and began to walk towards the stairs, "I will be in my room until dinner. Do not bother me unless there is an emergency,"

* * *

I had just finished my shower and was drying off when there was a knock on my door. Frowning, I called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me," I frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong Law?" I asked while pulling on one of the hotel robes.

I had barely tied it into place when my door opened. Law walked in and I noticed the box in his hand. I frowned at it and was about to ask when Law muttered, "What the hell are you wearing?"

 **End**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"I just got out of the shower," I answered wondering what his problem was, "I didn't have time to get my clothes on when you came barging in, so I'm wearing a robe,"

Law stared at me for a few moments and I felt my cheeks start to heat up. Why the hell was he staring at me? I turned away from him and went to grab my clothes. He finally spoke after I had grabbed my clothes, "Ariun-ya come to my room after you get dressed."

I turned just as my door closed. Shrugging, I turned back to my clothes and began to get dressed.

* * *

Law frowned as he walked into his room and sat down on his bed. He knew Ariun would be either taking a shower or getting dressed, but why had he barged in like that? He normally would have waited until she had given him the all clear to walk inside, but he hadn't. Why? He couldn't even fathom it. He shook his head and leaned back against the mattress. It was probably because of the box and who sent it. He heard a knock on the door, "Law?"

"Come in," He sat up as the door opened and Ariun walked in.

"What's going on?" She looked at the box with a frown.

"The jeweler from this morning sent it," Ariun froze as her stare morphed into one of disbelief.

"What?" He felt slightly amused at the higher pitch her voice had taken, "Why?"

He handed over the letter, "Read that."

Ariun took the letter and read it over before doing so again. She tore her eyes from it and asked, "What are we going to do?"

"I do not know," He replied while watching her eyes slid over to the box, "I could choose to do anything with them, but I felt you deserved some sway in the decision,"

"May I see the box?" She asked and he nodded.

She took the box from where he had set it on his bed and opened it. She reached inside and picked up one of the rings. She twisted it here and there while humming softly. He had to admit the rings were rather beautiful. Ariun seemed to agree with that statement. He watched her place the ring back into the box and asked, "What do you think I should do?"

"I will admit they're rather beautiful and if the guy was telling the truth, it would be a boon," She bit her lip as she handed him the box, "However, we do not know this man nor if he speaks the truth," He nodded silently allowing her to continue speaking, "Due to my past as thief, I have some reservations about letting such things slip between my fingers. It is also due to my past that I find this suspicious," She frowned softly, "People can be kind and actually do things like this; however, the people like that are rarities in a world like this," He was slightly surprised at how her mind was working, "I can't really say if taking them is a good thing or not; however, we could keep them for now and sell them on some other island if we find some inclination to do so,"

"You're suggesting we keep them?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"For the moment," She informed him, "If they are made of some special metal, it is highly likely that the further we get in the Grandline the more valuable they will become,"

"True," He conceded to her point, "Do you want them?"

She frowned for a few minutes before shrugging, "I do not care if I have them in my possession or not," She smiled slightly, "It is your choice to do what you want with them."

He contemplated what to do before grabbing the box and handing it to her, "Wear them for now."

She looked at him in surprise before taking the box from him, "You sure?"

"Yes," He smirked teasingly at her, "It is my choice to do with them what I want remember?"

She smiled at him and giggled softly, "True."

He chuckled softly before waving her to go, "Go get your things ready. We will be departing for the sub soon. I want everyone ready to leave this place behind after we get what we want."

She nodded and left the room. He stared after her for a few moments before standing up and beginning to gather his things.

* * *

I did a last minute check on my room to see if I had left anything behind before leaving. I was met by Bepo and Law coming down the hall, "All set?"

Bepo beamed at me and nodded while Law smirked at me, "Let's meet with the others, shall we?"

I handed over my room key to Law and walked with them downstairs. Everyone else was milling about and Law called them to order. Shachi spoke once everyone got quiet, "Captain the sub's ready for travel."

"Good we'll head there first to get our stuff put away," Law replied earning eager murmurs from the crew, "Once you finish putting your things away, I want you all on the main deck for further orders,"

"Aye Captain!" Law turned in the room keys and we left the hotel behind.

I watched with some amusement as the population gazed at us with some fear as we walked through town. I heard their murmured conversations and smirked at they all wondered the same thing: Were the pirates finally leaving? Law looked at me as I giggled softly and asked, "What's so amusing?"

"The people of this island are wondering if we're finally leaving," I answered making him chuckle, "The fear they have was made by our reputation, yet we have done nothing to make them scared of us save for what happened to the bounty hunters. It is somewhat funny,"

"Agreed," He then glanced behind me, "You haven't put on the rings yet?"

"I'm going to wait until we get back to the sub," I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"I'm slightly surprised that you decided to wait," He admitted making me shrug slightly.

"I do not want to chance losing them without the ability to find them," I gave my reasoning, "If they accidentally fell off while we were at the hotel, I probably wouldn't have been able to find them. If I lost them on the sub, I have a good chance of finding them,"

"I see," We were almost to the docks and I let out a happy sigh at seeing the sub, "Happy?"

"Yup," I grinned at him, "The sub's home after all,"

I almost froze as the words left my mouth before realizing that they were true. The sub was more of a home than my crappy apartment or my home island had ever been. Law looked at me in surprise before smirking, "Glad you see it that way."

I nodded to him with a soft smile while watching Kuro and Maki interact with the other members of the crew. The happiness in their eyes had grown and I knew it was because of the people around us. I realized now that even if we hadn't been on this crew for longer than two almost three months, we were all happier than we had ever been. I actually felt a kind of contentedness that I hadn't felt since the last time I was around my caretakers or when my mother was alive. I glanced at Law as we walked down the docks towards the sub and knew it was all because he had decided to allow us to join his crew. I felt a warm feeling settle in my chest and grinned slightly.

* * *

Law looked out of the corner of his eye at Ariun and noticed her grinning as she looked at him. He wondered what could possibly be going through her mind at the moment to make her grin like that. Perhaps it was because of what they were going to do tonight? It was the only thing he could possibly think of at the moment. He turned his gaze forward and rolled his eyes at his crew's antics. While he would never replace them, he was slightly annoyed at how childish they could be at times. He caught sight of Kuro and Maki causing him to smirk slightly. The two were fitting in rather nicely just like Ariun was though he would admit they were doing a better job of it. The two were much more social and probably knew every crew member's name by now. He frowned slightly and wondered if he should have Ariun talk with the other members of the crew. He immediatly pushed the idea away. Ariun would learn everyone's names in time, but at the moment she was probably content with those that she knew. He was cut off from his thoughts as Ariun asked, "Law?"

"Yes Ariun-ya?" He looked at her curiously.

"Do you want me to give you the drawings I made of the interior of the building?" He wondered when she had the time to draw those.

"When we meet with the rest of the crew on deck," He replied gaining a nod from her, "When did you have the time to draw them?"

She smiled sheepishly, "I started a few before I went to tell you that I needed to go out. I haven't finished them yet of course, but I'm going to finish them fairly soon."

"Get them done as quickly as you can, but make sure there's plenty of details for us to follow," He ordered making her smile.

"Of course," They walked up the gangplank and across the deck towards the door to the sub.

* * *

Once I had my stuff settled down in my room, I grabbed my few sketches of the building I had and a few pencils before heading back towards the deck. I stepped into the light of the late afternoon sun and noticed that I was the third person on the deck. The first was Law and the second happened to be Bepo. I walked over to them and Bepo asked, "Why do you paper and some pencils?"

"I'm going to finish the sketches I made of the building's layout," I explained to the bear, "They're going to help you guys navigate through the building,"

"You're not coming with us?" Bepo asked with confusion while I giggled softly, "Sorry!"

I shook my head at his depressed acted and said, "Sweetie," He looked at me in surprise, "I'm coming with you guys. The sketches are for those without good night vision."

"Oh," He nodded his head before asking, "Why did you call me 'Sweetie'?"

"Best nickname I could come up with for you," I admitted with a small blush, "Sorry if it offends you?"

"It's fine!" The bear beamed at me, "I don't mind at all!"

Law chuckled making me look at him, "What do you have so far?"

I held out my sketches and he looked through them, "These are fairly detailed already, but you're going to make them even more detailed?"

"Yup," I took the sketches back, "The more details I can give you guys, the easier it will be for us to navigate, and the faster we can get out of there,"

The other crewmembers began filing out and I went to join Kuro when he walked out. He looked at me with a slight grin and asked, "You feeling good?"

"Yup," I nodded my head lightly, "I'll be good for tonight since I've eaten a lot of sugar today,"

He reached up and I swatted at his hand before he could mess with my hair. The act was rendered useless as Maki mussed my hair as he walked passed me. I pouted at him and he smirked at me in reply. I rolled my eyes and reached up to fix my hair. When everyone was there and had fallen silent, Law spoke, "Everyone we'll wait until an hour after nightfall to strike. Most of you will be dealing with the people that pop up to bother us, I will be leading a small group to gather the valuables. If we need any help, I will send someone to inform you," Excited whispers broke out among those around me causing Law to smirk, "Until then, we will be heading to a bar to eat. When you finish eating, I want you to head back here to prepare."

 **End**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Everyone was in high spirits as we ate though some of them grumbled about not being able to get drunk just yet. I rolled my eyes and looked at Law to see him watching everyone with his usual smirk in place. I saw something warm in his eyes and realized it was pride. I smiled slightly and turned my attention back to my sketches. I added the last few details as Law asked, "Finished?"

"Just about," I looked over the sketches before nodding, "Finished."

I handed them over and he scanned them. His smirk widened after a few moments and he looked at me, "These are just what we need, you did a good job."

As pride welled up in my chest, I grinned at him, "Thanks."

* * *

When we finished eating, we went back to the sub. I went straight to my room to grab the last of my weapons. It was as I slid my staff into its regular place that my eyes found the box sitting on my bed. I debated what to do before reaching out and opening the box. My tail swished behind me as I picked up the two rings and observed the way they glittered in the light. I moved my tail in front of me and slid the first one on. My tail felt heavier, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I slid the second one on and found that it wasn't uncomfortable either. I released my tail and watched as the rings slid across it before settling on the thinner part of my tail. Swishing my tail lightly, I was surprised to hear a bell-like clink and found myself smiling slightly. I swished my tail around at varying speeds and found myself pleasantly surprised that the rings didn't fall off no matter what. I stopped moving my tail when I heard a knock on my door and Kuro shouting, "Are you ready?!"

"Coming," I called out to him as I closed the box and walked over to the door.

He stood just outside of it and we began to walk upstairs. He glanced at the new additions to my tail and asked, "Why do you have those?"

"They were given to Law as a gift and he gave them to me for now," I replied and was surprised when Kuro stopped walking.

"Wait what?!" The slightly higher pitch made me frown at him.

"You heard me," I continued walking.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Kuro asked quickly catching up to me.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Dunno and don't really care."

We walked up the stairs and towards the deck. I nodded to the crew members that joined us and felt slightly bad for not knowing their names. I shook it off as we reached the door to the main deck and walked onto the sun warmed wood. Night had fell around us, but the lights of the city chased most of the shadows away. Law spoke once everyone had gathered, "The group going with me are Ariun, Shachi, Penguin, Kaze, Bepo, and Atsushi," Murmurs broke out, "Maki-ya I want you to stay with the others to act as a guide outside of the building," Maki nodded to Law, "Now let's go and get this done."

A small group stayed back to prepare the sub to leave at a moments notice while the rest of us went.

* * *

I shifted into my leopard form and darted forward to walk next to Law. He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. I gave him a leopard's grin, "Night vision will be useful ahead of us."

"Right," He glanced at my tail, "No problem's with those?"

"No," I swished my tail lightly causing a small bell-like clink to echo from the rings, "They do not weigh much and do not hinder my tails maneuverability,"

Law nodded and focused ahead of us. As we drew closer to the building we were going to rob, I noticed the sounds of feet that hadn't been there last time. I glanced at Bepo and saw his ears twitching. He looked at me and asked, "Ari-chan?"

"I hear them," Law looked between us, "People are ahead of us. More than there were last night,"

"So they might be expecting us," Law theorized with slightly narrowed eyes, "Everyone be on guard. We're about to encounter resistance,"

"Aye Captain," Everyone murmured softly.

We soon reached the building and found the workers walking out. It seemed that this was the end of their shift. When the first one spotted us, he shouted, "PIRATES!"

* * *

I led the way inside once we got through the frantic workers. We met a few people on our way through the building, but they were easily taken care of. It became quite clear that none of them were trained to actually fight. Shachi actually sighed as we made it onto the second floor, "Damn this is weak."

"Yeah," I felt bad for Penguin and Shachi since they seemed to have envisioned this as something much harder.

"Don't pout guys," They looked at me, "You can't expect excitement every time you rob a place,"

We soon reached the door from before and I listened carefully for movement. I heard the sound of muffled voice and Bepo commented, "Three people are inside that office."

"Shachi," The ginger haired man turned his head towards Law, "Open the door,"

We watched as Shachi kicked it in and we walked inside. The old man from the last time I was in this office, baldy, and a man that I've never seen before stared at us. Shachi, Penguin, and Kaze were quick to detain the trio. I was somewhat surprised that the old man wasn't struggling. Baldy shouted, "Boss!"

"Old Man!" The man shouted, "What do we do?!"

The old man ignored them and stared at Law. I looked at the old man's eyes and noticed something that shocked me. Regret, knowledge, and acceptance. The old man spoke, "Ya 're Tra'alg'h La', Corr'ct?"

"Yes," Law observed the man and seemed to see what I saw.

"I w'ntcha ta k'll meh," The old man said making everyone save for Law and I to gasp.

"Why?" Law asked curiously.

"I 'ave notin' left," My heart ached slightly at those words and I remember what someone said before.

 _I began getting ready to leave until I heard, "Yeah the boss is happy that we're charging those pirates through the nose."_

 _"Damn didn't think old man Wink would do that," I turned my head and found a pair of guys sitting at a table, "He's always been welcoming to pirates,"_

 _"Not since his daughter was taken by that group under Joker," One of them grumbled, "Damn old man hasn't been right since,"_

I spoke softly while cutting off Law, "Your daughter was taken by pirates working under Joker."

* * *

Law and everyone froze while the old man stared at Ariun. She shifted into her human and the old man let out a dry chuckle, "'Ow di' ya know?"

"I heard it when I was listening to some of your workers talking," She informed him, "More than likely, she was the last of your family,"

"Corr'ct," He nodded to Ariun before looking at Law, "K'll meh,"

Law stared at the old man while trying to come to terms with the fact Joker or one of his associates had been here. He mentally gritted his teeth knowing it wasn't the time for such thoughts. Nodding to the old man, he turned to Kaze. The 16 year old was the one holding the old man. Kaze stared at him for a little while before taking out a knife. When he nodded to the boy, Kaze slit the old man's neck. The old man gurgled as the two workers in the room cried out in alarm. Kaze laid the old man on the ground almost gently making Law mentally wince. Out of all his crew members, Kaze had one of the worst pasts and still suffered from it. He would need to speak with the teen later, but right now he needed to get this job done. Turning to Shachi and Penguin, he ordered, "Knock them out," The two did as he asked, "Ariun-ya show us where the valuables are."

She nodded and walked over to the large portrait on the wall. She lifted up one of the edges and moved it off of the wall. A hole filled with treasure greeted them.

* * *

Everyone was carrying a bag of something towards the sub. Law was quite pleased with how the whole thing had gone with a few displeasing things happening. He disliked the fact that the pink bastard had business done on this island and he hated the fact that he had missed the chance to find out more about his dealings here. He looked at where Ariun was walking with her two friends and scowled slightly. Why the hell hadn't she mentioned that specific detail in her report to him? He needed to speak with her, but it would have to wait until after he spoke with Kaze. He looked at the sixteen year old and frowned at the slightly blank look in the teens eyes. It would seem that he would have a sleepless night tonight.

* * *

I scowled at Kuro and Maki as they barged into my room, "Why the hell didn't you knock?"

"Why the hell are you wearing those rings?" Kuro retorted with a glare.

"Because I felt like it and Law gave them to me for now," I rolled my eyes.

"Take them off," Maki demanded making me glare at him.

"No," I crossed my arms over my chest, "What the hell is your problem?"

I stared at them and Kuro threw up his arms, "God damn it why the hell are you acting so dense?!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" I demanded in return feeling irritated as hell at them.

They stared at me for a few moments before Maki asked, "Are you not dating the Captain?"

"What?!" Where the hell did they get that fucking idea? "Hell no!"

"Then why did he give you those rings?" My eyebrow twitched.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and keep myself from clawing both these idiots. I spoke calmly while glaring at them, "I told you why. He was given them and decided to give them to me. We are not dating and we probably never will."

Kuro stared at me in slight disbelief, "So you do not find him attractive?"

"Oh he's hot as hell and I wouldn't mind having him in my bed," I calmed down realizing that they were being overprotective as usual, "But I don't love him. He's a good friend that's all,"

"Oh..." Both flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Guys does it really matter if I date him?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Maki shook his head, "It would actually be preferable to us if you ended up with him rather than another member of the crew,"

I hummed softly upon hearing that and let myself fall onto my bed, "Then why react the way you two did?"

I heard a sigh and Kuro dropped into bed next to me, "Storm we care about you and don't want you getting hurt."

"We would blame ourselves if you got hurt," Maki added while dropping next to me, "It scared us that you maybe trying a relationship after only knowing Captain for two almost three months,"

I rolled my eyes and pointed out, "A lot of relationships start after only knowing the person for a week or two."

"True," Kuro sighed softly, "Just promise us something,"

"What?" I asked while absorbing the heat they gave off.

"If you somehow end up together, you have to make sure he won't hurt you," Maki murmured softly, "You need to be sure you love him before you get together with him,"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "I don't exactly know what love it. You two have it, but I've never really felt it before."

Frowning at me, it seemed they realized that little fact as well. Kuro groaned before muttering, "What the hell are we going to do with you?"

"Love me and protect me until we all die," I offered dryly.

 **End.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law bit back a groan as he sat down in the galley with a cup of coffee. The situation with Kaze had taken almost all night to resolve. He took a sip of the warm liquid and gelt some of his stress melt away. He would have to speak to Ariun soon enough about why she hadn't told him that little tidbit about Joker. He was surprised when the door to the galley opened and the very woman he was thinking about entered. He noted that she looked a little sleep deprived. She didn't seem to notice him as she moved towards the kitchen prompting him to speak up, "Ariun-ya what are you doing up so late?"

To his amusement, the spotted haired woman jumped and spun around clutching her shirt. She offered him a glare, "You scared the crap out of me. When the hell did you get here?"

"I was in here before you," He eyed her pallid complexion, "Is there a reason you're up so late?"

Ariun flinched slightly to his surprise and shook her head, "No reason. Just wanted to get some coffee."

"Ariun-ya I dislike liars," He glared at her a little as she sighed in slight frustration.

"And I dislike pushy people just after-" She stopped speaking and shook her head, "I'm just getting some coffee. I'll be outta your hair until later,"

He stood up and walked towards her as she turned to go into the kitchen once more. He grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn around. He glared down at her, "Ariun-ya tell me why you're up so late."

Ariun's eyes narrowed into a glare and she spat, "Why the hell do you care?"

He felt his irritation rise at her words, but then he noticed the fear that lingered in her eyes and the slight vulnerableness. She was only acting like this because of whatever nightmare she had. He bit back a sigh as his irritation left him, "Because I am your captain. I dislike seeing my subordinates troubled by the things that lurk in their subconscious," She flinched and he felt her body stiffen under his hand, "What did you dream about?"

"Nothing," She whispered almost hoarsely while trying to move away from him, "I didn't dream about anything,"

"I find that hard to believe," He placed his other hand on her other shoulder and pulled her closer, "Ariun-ya what did you dream about?"

She resisted him, but it was quite obvious she was still weakened from using her power. She shook her head, "I-i can't..."

"Can't what?" He asked pulling her closer until he could wrap an arm around her.

"Can't tell anyone," Tears were leaking out of her eyes, "I can't tell anyone... _He_ would kill everyone,"

He felt ice run along his spine at her words as he asked, "Who Ariun-ya?"

"The reason I hate my last name," She was shaking heavily.

"Ariun-ya what do you mean?" He couldn't fully comprehend what was going on with her.

She shook her head and tried to move away from him, "Please don't ask that...Not now...Please..."

The fear in her voice chilled him to the bone. He could stop himself from nodding and murmuring, "Alright. Not now."

"Good," She slumped against him almost making him stumble.

He frowned and used his free hand to move her head. He was surprised to see her eyes closed. She was asleep! He stared at the woman in slight shock while wondering how she could have fallen asleep. It was almost as if she had been in a state between wakefulness and sleep. As his mind tried to process what the hell just happened, he carefully picked Ariun up and began to walk out of the Galley. He walked down the stairs towards Ariun's room and opened the the door once he reached it. As he walked over to her bed and placed her on it, he noticed the slight state of disarray. It looked like a small tornado had gone through the room. A frown stretched across his face as he looked around the room until he spotted an open sketchbook on her small desk. He walked over to it and noticed that it wasn't one that he had seen before. Carefully, he picked it up as his fingers brushed across the battered and aged leather before looking at the open page. The drawing shook him slightly. A body lying in blood covered snow with a laughing figure standing over them. The words 'Murderer', 'Killer', and 'kinslayer' decorated the page in splashes of red lined black. He swallowed slightly and turned his head to Ariun, "Ariun-ya what the hell is this?"

He received no answer and honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted one.

* * *

I yawned as I walked into the galley and Buck grinned upon seeing me, "Up early I see."

"Yeah," I frowned slightly at how drained I felt, "Buck what's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, grits, bacon, and some fruit salad," He answered though his grin dimmed, "Ya okay?"

"I'm fine just really tired," I theorized that it was probably because my ability took more out of me than I thought since it had been around 3 months since I last used it, "I must have overworked my ability,"

Buck nodded while giving me a curious look, "Your zoan ability right?"

"Nope I have another ability which reminds me," I remembered what I promised Penguin, "When's the next time Penguin, Shachi, Bepo, and you have some time off from your duties?"

"Tonight why?" Buck looked at me curiously.

I smiled tiredly at him, "I want to tell you four about my past."

"What about the rest of the crew Darlin'?" He asked with a slight frown, "Don't they deserve to know too?"

"In time," I promised the man, "I just haven't spent as much time around them as I have with you four,"

Buck nodded in understand, "I'll tell the other three when I see 'um."

* * *

"That's odd," Shachi commented as we all sat together for breakfast, "Captain isn't in here yet,"

I frowned at that and wondered what had happened. Bepo spoke up as he sat down, "Captain probably got caught up in his work and didn't notice the time. I'll give him breakfast after I finish since I need to tell him when we think we're going to reach the next island."

"Did anyone find out what that island's called?" I asked gaining a nod from Bepo.

"It's called Astor Creek," Bepo answered while frowning slightly, "Apparently it's a summer island,"

I almost grinned at the thought of how warm it would be, "Summer island...That sounds kinda cool."

"You don't know how hot island's like that can be," Shachi pointed out prompting me to roll my eyes.

"Shachi I've read books on summer islands," I leaned back as I picked up a piece of bacon, "At least it isn't a desert island, I would probably die,"

The boys around me shivered and nodded.

* * *

Law jerked slightly as a knock echoed on his door and looked at it in confusion, "Come in."

He was surprised to see Bepo walking in with a tray. The bear seemed slightly surprised, "Captain did I wake you?"

"No," He ran a hand through his hair as he sat up from his slouched position on his couch, "What time is it?"

"It's around nine in the morning," Bepo looked at him in concern, "Are you alright Captain?"

"I'm fine," He took the tray from the bear, "Was everyone at breakfast?"

"Yup though Ari-chan seemed really tired," The bear seemed slightly down at that, "I don't think she's recovered from using whatever it was,"

"She'll be fine in a few days from what I hear," He offered to the bear making Bepo perk up, "Did you notice anything else off about her?"

Bepo seemed to think about it before shaking his head, "Nope she seemed fine and really cheerful."

He mulled over the information Bepo had offered as he began eating his breakfast. Bepo spent the time he ate talking about what he had found out about the next island. If all went well, they should be there in two weeks. The island's name is supposed to be Astor Creek. He took in that information as he handed the tray back to Bepo. The mink was about to leave when Law ordered, "Bepo inform Ariun-ya that I wish to see her in an hour."

"Aye Captain," Bepo walked out of the room.

* * *

I knocked on Law's door while wondering what I had done. I heard Law call out, "Come in Ariun-ya."

Opening the door and slipping inside, I looked around the room for the first time. It was done up in a mixture of blacks, yellows, and small bits of white. I noted that the room was slightly divided with half of it serving as a small area to relax and do work while another acted as the bedroom. A door sat off to the side telling me Law had his own bathroom. I noted that the room was fairly clean with no clutter whatsoever. Law had a few bookcases filled with books on the walls. I took all that in within the first twenty seconds of walking into the room. Law was sitting on the sole couch in the room and looking at me carefully. I offered him a slight smile, "What's up Law?"

"What happened last night?" He demanded making me frown.

"Last night?" I inquired with a small bit of confusion, "What do you mean?"

Law seemed fairly irritated at that response, "Ariun-ya I dislike liars and dislike repeating myself."

"I get that, but I don't know what you're talking about," I ran a hand through my hair.

Law stood up and walked towards me in a way that made me want to back up. I found myself pressed against the door with Law glaring down at me. I stared up at him in confusion while wondering what the hell brought this on. He stared at me for a while before demanding, "What's the last thing you remember doing last night?"

"Kicking Maki and Kuro out of my room before going to bed," I answered feeling very frustrated, "The last thing I remember is closing my eyes to fall asleep,"

Law stared into my eyes for a little before asking, "Do you remember what you dreamed last night?"

I tried to recall it only to come up blank which made me freeze. I suddenly began to understand what was going on with Law and shuddered slightly, "N-no."

"Ariun-ya," Law's voice held a warning tone to it telling me that he saw me freeze up.

"Law I had a nightmare last night. The thing with my nightmares is that I don't remember them when I wake up anymore," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "I can't tell you why it's like that, but it is," I opened my eyes and looked at him in concern, "What happened?"

"You came into the galley last night to get a cup of coffee," He moved back slightly and gave me some room, "I asked you to tell me why you were up so late and you wouldn't answer me," He frowned slightly, "I tried to get you to answer and figure out that you had a nightmare, but you wouldn't tell me what it was about," I began to piece together what happened, "You said that you couldn't be someone would come kill everyone," I stiffened at that, "Ariun-ya you said that person was the reason you hated your last name," He eyed me carefully, "Ariun-ya what are you keeping from me?"

I frowned softly and realized that I would have to tell him sooner rather than later. Swallowing thickly, I opened my mouth and...

 **End**


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I frowned softly and realized that I would have to tell him sooner rather than later. Swallowing thickly, I opened my mouth and started to speak, "My-"

A knock sounded on the door and the vibrations I felt on my back reminded me that I was against the door. I moved away from it as Law called out, "Come in."

The door opened and in walked in one of the navigators, I think his names Kin or Kit. He glanced at me in surprise before shaking his head and looking at Law, "Captain we're coming up on a storm system."

"Dive under the water until it won't bother us too badly," Law ordered making the man nod, "Why didn't Bepo-ya contact me using the voice pipe, Kita-ya?"

Ah Kita's his name! Kita sighed softly, "One of the pipes is blocked. Grin and Crain are working on it."

Hearing that, Law frowned, "How long has is been blocked?"

"We just noticed that it was blocked when Bepo couldn't send the message through," Kita informed Law, "Grin, Crain, and the twins are going to do a check on all the voice pipes once they finish getting the current one unblocked,"

"Good. I want one of them to give me a report once they're done checking the pipes," Kita nodded, "Go,"

"Aye Captain," Kita glanced at me on his way out.

When the door closed behind Kita, Law pointed to his couch, "Sit down there."

I walked over to the couch and could smell the expensive leather it was made of underneath Law's scent. As I sat down, I marveled at how comfortable it felt and leaned back against the seat. I looked at Law as he walked over and asked, "Why did you want me to sit down?"

"I've found that you're more comfortable telling me things if you're sitting down," He informed me as he took a seat next to me, "Especially if the story is something that bothers you,"

Hearing him say that, I realized he could read me fairly well. I was surprised to find that it didn't bother me that much. Shaking my head to clear it, I ran my fingers through my hair, "Alright so you want to what I'm keeping from you," He nodded while eyeing me carefully, "My troubles with Diablo and the scientist came from the man that I'm ashamed to share a last name with."

"Your father?" I nodded softly, "You haven't mentioned him before,"

* * *

Ariun offered him a sardonic smile, "That man has never been a father to me in my entire existence and if it was his choice, I wouldn't be alive," Law felt a slight chill at seeing her eyes turn a mixture of despair and rage, "My mother was raped by that man. If my mom's family had it their way, I wouldn't exist," Ariun smiled a slightly bitter smile, "My mom told me that from the minute she knew that I existed, she loved me. She had been told repeatedly that she would never have kids and that devastated her because she wanted a big family. She didn't care how I was conceived because she was actually going to have a kid," Ariun shook her head, "Anyway, a few months after my caretakers left, _he,"_ She spat out that work with enough venom to remind him of when he said the pink bastards name, "Came back to the island and learned about me from one of my mom's sisters."

"Why do you hate him so much?" Law asked though he had a few ideas.

" _He's_ the one that sold me to the scientist," She replied with a deep growl radiating from her chest surprising him and making him realize this is the first time he had seen her show any real emotion about her past, " _He_ had the nerve to tell me that I should be happy that I'm actually doing something of worth, that I was a fucking mistake that shouldn't exist, and that I should be proud that I was actually doing something with my life," Law felt anger slowly rise up inside of him, "A few years after I escaped, _he_ returned to the island and discovered what happened," She shook slightly and grit her teeth, "The bastard found out about my ability from some other member of my mom's family that hated my guts. _He_ along with that pig Diablo looked for me, but I kept away from them. I watched him leaving and heard him saying that his boss would probably find me somewhat useful,"

Law absorbed the information slowly and realized something, "Ariun-ya who is your father and who is his boss?"

"I don't know the name of his boss, but I do know that both of them are pirates with his boss being his captain," Law had a sinking feeling in his gut about who her father was, "As for _that man's_ name, he is Snow Liken,"

Law felt his entire body freeze at that name. Of all the people she could have as her father, it had to be that bastard.

* * *

I broke away from my anger at that _man_ when I saw Law tense. I frowned and opened my mouth to speak when Law hissed, "That bastard..."

"Law?" The grey-eyed man looked at me, "What's wrong?"

"Your father is one of the pirate captain's that work under Donquixote Doflamingo," I froze immediatly and felt a shiver go down my spine.

"H-how do you know?" I couldn't stop myself from stuttering a little.

"Because I used to be a member of the Donquixote pirates at the age of 10," I stared at Law in shock, "For reasons that I will not share at the moment, I left at the age of thirteen," He scowled and I felt myself relax slightly, "Why are you scared of him coming after you?"

I shook my head, "I'm not scared of him coming after me. I want him to come after me if only so I could kill him," I gave Law a slight frown, "Why did you call him 'that bastard'?"

"He and along with another made my life a living hell," Law grimaced softly, "He will do anything to be seen as favorable by the pink bastard,"

Seeing that Law had a grudge against Doflamingo, I realized that his past must not have been all that good. My mind went to what Atsushi said when we first met...

 _"You've had a rough life," He murmured softly as he withdrew his hand, "A very rough life filled with struggles," His voice dipped down and even with my enhanced hearing I could barely hear him, "Like Captain..."_

"You've had a rough life filled with struggles," I murmured softly causing Law to freeze.

"How did you-" He cut himself off, "Atsushi..."

I nodded lightly, "He said that to me after shaking my hand and said under his breath 'Like Captain'. It's only now that I remember it," I offered Law a slightly sheepish smile, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Law waved it off, "I need you to tell me why you didn't inform me about Joker's people taking that old man's daughter,"

I frowned slightly, "It didn't seem that important at the time," I look at Law in slight confusion, "Why do you care about this 'Joker' guy anyway?"

"He's Donquixote Doflamingo," Law replied prompting me to realize something.

"He's the guy that kept sending Diablo all that stuff," I sat up slightly, "Joker's his alias for the underground right?"

"Correct," Law looked at me curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"You wanna find him and kill him right?" I ignored his question for now as my mind raced.

"Correct," Law's eyes narrowed slightly, "Ariun-ya..."

"Then getting information on him won't be that hard," I ignored the expression on Law's face, "It'll take a bit of work of course, but that's the price of getting information on the underground-"

"Ariun-ya what the hell are you talking about?" Law cut me off and snapped me out of my slight trance.

I smiled sheepishly at him, "Sorry about that. I get like that sometimes."

"Ariun-ya can you please explain to me what was going through your mind?" Law asked with a raised eyebrow and a look of slight amusement on his face.

"Okay," I took a deep breath, "The underground is a network of black market dealers, information sellers, and a whole lot of illegal shit. Right?" He nodded, "So, everyone in the know will know a little bit about each black market dealer. Joker is one of the higher end dealers,"

"How do you know?" He asked making me smile sheepishly.

"Some of the clients I took on were part of the black market," I explained remembering some of them, "They often went into meetings with Diablo and a bunch of other people on the island," Law gestured for me to continue, "Anyway, Joker being one of the high end dealers will have a lot of information leaked about him whether he realizes it or not. If you play your cards right, you can find out whatever you need to take him on though it'll take time depending on how good he is at hiding shit,"

* * *

Law went over the information she gave him as he commented, "You know a lot about this kind of thing."

"My client's would often send me as a messenger," She explained with a slight grin, "They never told me to not look at the messages they were sending," He chuckled softly, "I also listened into their conversations and paid as much attention as I could to what they were doing. I know a lot about how the underground works," She ran a hand through her hair, "Never really thought I'd put this knowledge to use,"

"Do your former client's still keep in contact with you?" He asked while his respect for the woman next to him went up.

She hummed softly, "Sometimes though it's rare for any of them to really contact me. I think the last time was a year ago and that client needed me to act as her guard for a week."

"Do any of them owe you any favors?" He felt glad that he had managed to get Ariun on his crew.

She nodded with a calculative look in her eyes, "Yup. Quite a few of them actually," She looked at him, "I do know that a few of them actually cursed Joker's name though never found out why."

"Are they in the Grandline?" He felt slightly excited at the fact he had a good chance to actually start fine tuning his plan against Doflamingo.

"Last I heard, yes," Ariun frowned slightly, "You do realize that some of these people won't honor their favors right?"

"Yes, but at least it's a start," Law noticed her eyes drooping, "Ariun-ya are you tired?"

"Yeah," She yawned softly, "I'm going to take a nap after lunch since I don't have to help make dinner tonight," She shook her head lightly, "Did you need anything else?"

"No," She stood up, "Where are you going?"

"To my room," She looked at him curiously, "I'm going to sketch some stuff or read one of my books to stay awake,"

He recalled what Maki and Kuro had said about Ariun craving warmth until her body fully recovered from using her power. _Storm will likely go for either Bepo, you, or me._ He wondered why she wasn't attempting to stay with him prompting him to ask, "Where will you go afterwards?"

"To see Maki or Bepo," She answered making him want to scowl.

For some reason, he didn't like the idea of her doing that. He almost growled at the confusion he felt, but he held back the urge as he offered, "You could spend time in here if you wish for quiet. Maki-ya will most likely be downstairs with Yamire-ya working on some of the medical kits I have stashed all over the sub. Bepo-ya and the other navigator's are most likely preparing for the coming storm."

He almost immediatly froze as the words left his mouth. Why the hell had he offered her that?

 **End.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

Why the hell had he offered her that? The question swirled through his mind and he couldn't think of an answer. His room was his quiet place that only Bepo dared to bother him unless it was an emergency or he asked someone to come to him. It was one of the few places on the sub that he could be truly alone for however many hours he wished. So why? He was snapped out of his thoughts as Ariun said, "No."

"No?" He was having trouble processing what she had just said.

"This maybe a quiet place, but it's your quiet place," Ariun smiled softly and shook her head at him, "You probably didn't even mean to give me the opportunity," He was surprised that she had come to that realization, "I would only be intruding," She turned and began walking towards the door, "I don't mind those around me being loud as it will keep me from falling asleep,"

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Ariun opened the door and left without another word. He watched as it swung closed and stared at it for a few moments before sighing. He leaned back against his seat and muttered, "Why the hell did I offer her that?"

He received no answer and to be honest he wasn't expecting one.

* * *

As I walked along the corridor towards the stairs, I couldn't stop myself from wondering why Law had offered me that. I could tell from the fact only his scent rested within the room that he was one of the few to ever really spend time in it. It was quite obvious to me that it was his safe haven from dealing with the crew if he got too irritated with them or wished to sleep. It made no sense to me that Law would be willing to let me spend time in his room even if the quiet would be nice for drawing. I shook my head as I reached my room and went inside. It was best to ignore it just like that kiss back at the hotel. It means nothing.

* * *

I leaned against Maki as he put things in a first aid kit. Yamire was a quiet man and didn't speak much which didn't both me too much. The mechanics working on the boilers however were loud. I was able to ignore most of it as I focused on the drawing I was making and the wonderful amount of heat the boilers created. It was due to this that I didn't notice Shachi walking up and standing over me until he asked, "Why are you drawing Captain?"

I almost jumped and it was by sheer luck that my drawing utensil wasn't touching the paper. I turned my head to glare at Shachi as Maki and Yamire stopped working, "Shachi don't do that! I could have ruined my drawing."

Shachi offered me a sheepish smile, "Sorry," He then looked at my half finished drawing, "Why are you drawing Captain?"

"Because I haven't drawn him yet," I looked at the half-finished drawing, "I want to add his sketch to my collection,"

"Why?" Shachi and Yamire looked at me in confusion while Maki snickered.

"Because I've drawn Penguin, Bepo, Buck, Maki, Kuro, and you already," I wondered what their problem was, "I have drawn Law yet, so I'm add him to my collection now," I frowned at them, "What's with those looks?"

They were staring at me with wide eyed bewilderment. Maki let out a soft laugh drawing my attention to him. He shook his head, "Storm they still don't know your habits just yet," He turned to the two looking at us, "Storm draws the people she likes or finds interesting. It makes it both easier for her to remember who's name belongs to what face. She'll most likely have the whole crew in her sketchbook at some point," He smirked at me as I pouted at him, "Plus, she's forgetful, so it'll be easier for her to remember things," Maki frowned slightly before asking, "Are you keeping a written log of the islands we go to?"

"And a sketched one," I replied with a slight smile, "I want to cover all the bases I can," Then I remembered something, "Did you happen to get the plants I requested?"

"Yup and I have them all prepped, so you can take them at anytime," I nodded with a slight smile.

"Plants?" Shachi looked at me with confusion, "Why'd you need plants?"

"To create salves and stuff," I explained while turning my attention back to my sketchbook, "I'm mostly creating this stuff as a backup incase we run out of stuff in the infirmary," I covered my mouth as I yawned, "Just incase,"

* * *

When Law left his room for lunch, he was surprised to see Ariun and Maki sitting with Yamire. The twins were sitting with them as well and five seemed quite content. As he sat down, he commented, "They seem to be getting along fairly well."

"Ariun came down and spent some time with Maki," Kuro explained turning his head slightly to look at the duo.

"The twins came down to check the voice pipes and ended up talking to Ariun since they saw her drawing," Shachi added with a slight grin.

Law remembered that the duo had done most of the crews tattoos. They weren't that bad, but they should stick to clothing. He shook his head lightly as Penguin muttered, "Let's hope they don't get Ariun to help them with their pranks."

* * *

"So you two are in charge of keep things clean?" I asked Chad and Brad as I took a bite of whatever pasta dish this was.

"Yup," Chad nodded his head, "We're mostly in charge of the laundry and keeping the crews clothes in good condition,"

I frowned slightly at that since that meant these two were the ones keeping my clothes clean as well. Nothing had gone missing yet, but still it prompted me to ask, "My clothes haven't caused you any problem right?"

"Nope," Brad assured me with a smile, "While you and Captain have more clothing going into the wash than most of us, your clothes are a lot easier to clean since the materials aren't as special as our boiler suits,"

"Special?" Chad grinned.

"Yup these suits of ours are made of a special material to keep heat in when we're in a cold environment and keep heat out if we're in a hot environment," Chad explained while gesturing at Bepo, "Bepo's suit is most suited to keeping the heat out, but sometimes the material our suits are made of isn't enough,"

I recalled the times the sub had surfaced because it had gotten too hot for the mink, "Do the suits do anything else?"

"They're fire resistant, water resistant on the outside, very durable, and easy to maneuver in," Brad looked at my clothes, "Your clothes on the other hand are made to allow easy movement and let you transform without trouble,"

"And stain resistant," I added sheepishly as Maki laughed, "Oi! It's not that funny,"

"I think it is," Maki grinned at me before informing our clueless crewmates, "Storm's clothes are special made to keep from staining and have been since she was 14," I blushed slightly and tried to focus on my food while ignoring the looks I was being given, "Storm used to get covered in all manner of dirt, grime, and various other things stained. Storm's boss got so tired of her walking into work with stain covered shirts that he forced her to buy stain resistant clothes,"

"I'm not that bad anymore," I mutter softly.

"Maybe not, but still," Maki grinned at me.

"Asshole," I grumble and focus on my food.

* * *

I laid down on my stomach and stared at the book on my bed. It was a book about creating various salves. I ran my fingers over the handwritten words and the aged pages. I heard a knock on my door and called out, "Come in."

Shachi, Penguin, Buck, and Bepo walked in as I gently closed the book. Bepo saw it and asked, "Where'd you get that?"

"One of my teachers gave it to me before she passed," I informed the bear, "Now," I looked at the group of four as a whole, "The reason I wanted to see you guys is because it's time you learned about my past,"

"Shouldn't you tell the whole crew and Captain?" Bepo asked with a frown.

"Law already knows and while I'm starting to get to know everyone else, I'm not ready to tell them just yet," They nodded in understanding, "The only thing I ask for other than your silence on my past is that you do not speak while I tell my story," I looked into each of their eyes to show them how serious I was, "My past is a touchy subject due to what happened to me and it takes a lot out of me to speak about it,"

"We'll try," Shachi promised and I offered him a weak smile.

"That's all I can ask..." I trailed off before taking a deep breath, "When I was 5 years old..."

* * *

Law was walking towards the stairs after checking on those still working below when he heard, "Ari-chan! Seriously?"

"Yeah," He paused before moving towards Ariun's door and found it opened a little, "The leader of my caretakers was torn between being proud and pissed while everyone else laughed. I'm pretty sure Kuro has the scar somewhere,"

"Man even with all that sucky shit going on with you, you have some real good memories," He heard Penguin comment.

He heard shuffling, "Well Ari-chan much as we would love to stay, we all should be heading to our rooms."

He moved towards the stairwell and watched as four people left Ariun's room. Shachi, Penguin, Buck, and Bepo filed out of her room. He watched as they walked down the hall towards their rooms and made his way towards Ariun's open doorway. He looked inside to see her sitting with one of those sketchbooks she had in her lap. She was smiling softly and spoke before he could do anything, "I told those four about my past."

"I had come to that conclusion," He leaned against the doorframe, "Why did you tell them?"

"I thought it would be best and Penguin had asked," She shrugged slightly before looking up from her sketchbook, "Just so you know, I added you to my sketchbook,"

She held out the sketchbook and he walked inside. Taking it, he thumbed through the pages while taking a few seconds to look at each drawing. They were of the sub, the previous island they had visited, the four crewmates she had in her room, Maki, Kuro, and a few random drawings. When he reached her drawing of him, he found himself surprised. It was of him sitting in a bar of some type with a glass of alcohol in hand. He was wearing the expression he usually did when watching the crew drink. It was his eyes that took his attention. Something about them screamed pride and amusement. He looked at Ariun, "How did you do that-"

"Your eyes?" She cut him off gaining a nod with a glare, "I draw what I see and your eyes are interesting,"

"How are they interesting?" He questioned her with a slight frown.

She seemed surprised by the question before smiling, "While you have a good poker face, I've noticed that your eyes give away what you're feeling," He felt strangely torn between feeling apprehensive and happy with the happy part confusing him greatly, "I will admit the darkness in your eyes often overshadows everything else, but it's all still there," Confusion rose inside of him at the words she used, "All in all, your eyes are interesting."

"What do you mean by darkness?" Her head tilted to the side.

"You don't know?" She shook her head lightly, "No wait most people wouldn't notice it," He felt slightly irritated that she wasn't immediatly answering his question, "The darkness I'm talking about is hard to explain," Her nose scrunched up slightly, "It's like a whole bunch of negative emotions swirled together and manifesting as a cloud of darkness that rests in your eyes," She ran a hand through her hair, "The darkness settles there if you have a bad past and hold great anger towards someone,"

She fell quiet and bit her lip while looking faintly frustrated. He stared at her for a few moments as he tried to process what she had said.

* * *

God damn it's hard to explain this kind of shit. I froze as I felt Law's hand on my lip and pulling it from between my teeth. I looked at him in surprise and surprise showed in his own eyes even as he muttered, "Don't bit your lip. You'll end up biting through it if you don't."

I tried to figure out what to say or do in response, but all I could do was nod. He held out my sketchbook to me and I took it before placing it next to me. Just as I turned back to say something to him, the sub jerked. I was suddenly being crushed under a really warm and heavy body. My attention was on the fact that Law's mouth was on mine.

 **End**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

 **This chapter just didn't want to be written.**

* * *

Start

* * *

My mind was pretty much frozen. Law was on top of me and his lips pressed against mine. The sub was still jerking, but I couldn't focus on that. All I could focus on was the pair of lips pressed against mine and the body on top of mine. I noted that Law's lips were firm and warm. I felt the slight coarse hairs of Law's goatee press into my chin. Law's scent wafted around me as my heartbeat sped up. It was almost indescribable, but very much Law. I dimly heard someone yelling, but it was ignored as my eyes stared into Law's greys. They were wide with shock and slight disbelief. I knew that I probably had that same look in my eyes too. I felt him move and suddenly his weight was on me anymore. Law's lips left mine moments later and he muttered, "Sorry."

He got off of my bed and I sat up. I opened my mouth to say something when one of the navigator's shouted over the voice pipes, "Sea King attack!"

"Shit!" Law cursed and left my room quickly.

I stared after him before laying back on my bed with a small groan. The navigator shouting about the attack suddenly announced that we were ascending just as the sub tilted upwards. My body was pressed against the wall and I muttered, "Well fuck this is gonna be fun."

* * *

Law gripped the stairwell railing and gritted his teeth as he waited for the sub the finish ascending. He was going to have to kill that stupid sea king in the rain since they hadn't passed the storm system yet. Hopefully they would be close to the eye of the storm which would make the whole thing easier even if he would have to fight in the rain. Once the sub righted itself, he finished his walk up to the next floor and walked towards his room. He grabbed Kikoku once he reached his room and immediatly headed towards the main deck. Bepo was already by the door and looked at him with worry, "Captain we're five minutes from reaching the eye of the storm. The rains pretty bad and the waves will make it difficult for you to balance."

"I'll be fine Bepo," He assured the bear as the locks on the door disengaged.

"Okay Captain," The bear frowned, but nodded as he opened the door.

Walking outside, Law felt wetness on his head prompting him to reach up. All he felt was his hair which meant his hat was in Ariun's room. Frowning slightly, he walked fully onto the deck and watched as the sea king rose up. He noted that it looked like a monkey with blood red fur, but ignored that as he created his room, "Room," His room covered the rather large beast as he pulled out Kikoku and slashed at it, "Shambles."

* * *

After finishing off the sea king and having a few members of the crew take the meat to the kitchen, he walked downstairs and knocked on Ariun's door, "Come in Law."

He had barely opened the door when his hat came flying towards him. He caught it carefully and glanced at Ariun. She was sitting at her desk and sketching something. Trying to find something to say to her, he opened his mouth only to shake his head, "Don't stay up too late. You're on Breakfast duty again."

He closed the door behind him and headed towards his room.

* * *

My mind was still stuck on the impromptu kiss a la sea king hours later. God damn it mind stop bringing it up. It means nothing! I had to admit I kinda liked it. I mean who wouldn't mind being kissed by someone like Law even if it was involuntary. I sighed and turned onto my back. I needed to fall asleep, but why couldn't I stop thinking about it? It was just an accidental kiss; a very nice accidental kiss. I groaned and laid a hand on my face, "Come on Ariun. You need to stop thinking about it."

I sighed deeply as the thought persisted. Perhaps it was because it's been a year since the last time I was in a relationship. Maybe I should use the time we're on the next island to find a companion. Yeah that would be a good idea. Not a guy though since that would just lead to a shit load of trouble. I nodded to myself and closed my eyes. Yup I'll just find a girl on the next island.

* * *

Law stared up at his ceiling with a slight frown. He couldn't get his mind off of the sudden kiss. Sure he had kissed Ariun once before, but that was when she had been asleep. It was diffrent this time because she had been awake and aware of the kiss. Not only that, he had been on top of her this time. The feeling of her body against his with her soft breasts pressed against his chest-, "Damn it."

He shifted slightly and tried to ignore how tight his sleep pants were. Fuck why exactly was he thinking like this? Sure she was attractive, but she was a member of his crew. He didn't need to be thinking about things like this. He had to admit that having her under him was nice. Groaning softly, he sat up to run a hand through his messy hair. He really needed to get his mind off of this. Perhaps, he should join Shachi and the others on the next island to find some company for a night. He was a healthy male after all and he needs too.

* * *

I yawned as I walked into the kitchen and Atsushi offered me a soft smile, "Good morning Ariun."

"Atsushi," I greeted him before looking around, "Where's Buck?"

"It's his day off," Atsushi gestured to the counter, "I think it would be a nice change to have some seafood for breakfast,"

I offered him a raised eyebrow before shrugging as I walked over to the sink after rolling up my sleeves, "Just tell me what to do."

It wasn't the first time someone had decided to make something odd for breakfast and Atsushi probably wouldn't be the last.

* * *

"Seafood for breakfast?" Shachi stared at his plate then at me, "Why?"

"Because Atsushi decided it would be a nice change," I was happily eating my grilled fish rolls, "It isn't that odd. Remember Buck's last creation?"

Shachi shuddered at the reminder of the monstrosity the lead cook had made, "Don't remind me. I still have stomach cramps."

"I still don't understand how it was able to move," I looked at Law as he sat down, "Hey Law do you know how Buck's last creation was able to move?"

Law looked slightly surprised at hearing me speak to him. I probably wouldn't have spoken to him if I wasn't sure the kiss was a fluke. He seemed to shake it off quickly and shrugged as he reached towards the newspaper, "I wasn't able to examine it before it disappeared, so I'm unsure."

I hummed softly, "Maybe the combination of alcohol, fish guts, fire, and some of the spices managed to create some form of faux life?" I was given wide eyed looks and my cheeks reddened, "What?"

"Ari-chan what the fuck?" I ran a hand through my hair.

Maki sat down next to me and asked, "How are you enjoying the book I load you?"

"It's pretty good," I told him feeling my cheeks cool.

"Great," He grinned, "I was hoping you would enjoy it even if you don't really enjoy science fiction,"

"Ariun-ya," I looked at Law, "Did that book give you that idea?"

I nodded while Maki looked slightly confused, "Yeah. The story's about some guy reanimating things using some science. The stories from the point of view of the guy's daughter and quite interesting."

"You shouldn't take ideas from books," Law deadpanned making me flush with embarrassment.

"I know that!" I ignored the snickers from the rest of the table, "It just seems like the only way Buck could manage to give life to anything,"

I froze as I heard Buck's voice from behind me, "Darlin'?"

I turned towards the man slowly and smiled sheepishly, "Hi Buck-"

"So even Ari-chan agrees that you can't get a girl!" Shachi crowed from the other side of the table.

"No that's not what I sai-" I began only to be cut off.

"Yes it is!" Penguin jumped onto Shachi's bandwagon, "It's been how long since you got a girl?"

My protests fell on unhearing ears and I turned to give Law a pleading look. He just smirked at me in a way that said 'You started it. It's not my problem.'

I glowered at him before returning my attention to my food. I would apologise to Buck later when Shachi and Penguin weren't around.

* * *

Law chuckled as he left the galley and headed towards the navigation room. Bepo walked beside him and asked, "How come you didn't help Ari-chan?"

"She can take care of herself," He smirked at Bepo, "She started it by saying that around Shachi and Penguin,"

"True," The bear snickered softly, "Ari-chan really should know to keep comments like that to herself,"

Law knew he would enjoy the next few days. Ariun had dug herself a small grave since Shachi and Penguin would most likely make Buck furious. He looked forward to see what Buck would come up with. The three would most likely find themselves with less than tasteful meals most likely. The man was a good person and someone that most wouldn't assume was a pirate until he was either fighting or being mocked. He wouldn't interfere with the situation as it was always interesting to see what punishments Buck could dish out.

* * *

Buck walked into the kitchen as I was doing the dishes and I offered him an apologetic look, "Sorry Buck! I didn't mean for that to happen."

The man looked torn between glowering at me and smiling, "Why did you say that?"

"Because," I tried to find a better reason than I already had, "Law embarrassed me and it came out wrong," I turned back to the dishes, "I meant to say that it was the only way your latest creation could have been alive,"

I heard a sigh, "Darlin' you really shouldn't say things like that around Shachi and Penguin. They often take things too far."

"I've realized," I glowered at the soapy water as I scrubbed another plate, "They really need to learn not to do that shit,"

"Agreed," Buck opened the fridge.

"Whatcha doing in here anyway?" I glanced at the man, "Aren't you supposed to be off today?"

"I am," The man replied, "I just wanted to see if someone took my juice,"

I hummed softly only to hiss as pain emanated from my hand, "Motherfucker!"

I removed my hand from the water as Buck made his way over to me. I grimaced at the blood and Buck cursed softly before grabbing a clean cloth. He wrapped it around my hand and helped me put pressure on the wound, "How'd that happen?"

"I wasn't paying attention," I grimaced softly, "I was paying more attention to what you were doing,"

The man frowned just as another cook, Mike, walked in, "Woah what's going on?"

"I accidently cut my hand on something in the sink," The short green haired man winced.

"I'll wash the dishes and send a message to Captain," Mike offered Buck, "You take her to the infirmary,"

Buck nodded and led me out of the room before I could protest. He spoke as we walked towards the doors to the galley, "Mike's one of those guys that's been around since the beginning, so he's dead set on everything being how the captain want's it."

"How come he isn't head cook?" I asked as we reached the doors and headed towards the infirmary.

"'Cause he didn't want it," Buck shrugged lightly while opening the infirmary door, "He agrees that I'm the better cook and I've been in charge of other cooks before even if it wasn't for very long,"

Buck gestured for me to go over to the sink and I did so as he walked over to one of the glass cupboards. I removed my hand from the towel and winced at the sight of the blood before washing my hands. I bit back a hiss of pain at how the water felt against my injury, but continued washing my hands. I dried them off and walked over to the bed where Buck had stuff set up. I took a seat without any prompting and Buck looked at the damage. He was about to start cleaning the injury when Law walked inside, "What exactly happened?"

 **End.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

"I accidentally managed to stab myself when I was washing the dishes," I said as Buck began cleaning the injury, "I wasn't paying attention, so I only have myself to blame," I shrugged my shoulders as I finished speaking and offered the duo giving me incredulous looks, "What?"

"You're actually admitting that you did something stupid?" Law asked with a raised eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, "Of course why wouldn't I?"

"Well women usually don't admit they're wrong," Buck replied with a slight laugh.

I snorted softly, "I'm not like most women."

"Obviously," Law muttered while walking over, "Buck-ya go return to whatever you were doing. I'll take care of this,"

Buck nodded, "Sure thing Captain," He offered me a smile, "See ya later Darlin'."

"See ya Buck," I smiled at him and he left the room.

I winced slightly as Law examined my injury though he was surprisingly gentle, "Buck-ya didn't seem angry with you."

"I made a mistake and said that I was sorry," I looked at the cuts on my fingers, "How bad is it?"

Law looked at me before looking back at the cuts, "Most of them just need to be bandaged, but two of them need stitches."

I grimaced at that, "Joy. It's my dominant hand too," I sighed softly and ran my uninjured hand through my hair, "At least I'm ambidextrous."

Law began cleaning out the cuts like buck was doing, "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not going to use my injured hand because that would both be painful and might cause the injuries to get worse," I winced as he cleaned one of the deep ones, "I've gotten injuries on my hands before and I've learned that trying to use my injured hand would be a very bad idea,"

Law chuckled causing me to give him a raised eyebrow, "Ariun-ya I'm surprised you're acting like you usually do after what happened last night."

Ah so that's why he chuckled. I smirked at him, "Why wouldn't I?" The question seemed to have caught him off guard, "It's not like that kiss meant anything. It was the indirect result of a sea king attack aka a fluke, so I'm not going to let it bother me," I offer him a raised eyebrow, "Does it bother you?"

He was silent for a few moments before shaking his head, "No. I'm just surprised is all."

"Well remember that I'm not exactly a normal woman," I placed the elbow of my left arm on my knee and propped my head up using my left hand, "Kiss don't exactly matter even if they're coming from a really hot person," Law's lips quirked into an amused smirk, "Sex doesn't matter either since it's just a way to get relief,"

Law let out a husky sounding laugh that immediatly sent shivers down my spine and made me want to squirm, "And where did you get sex from?"

I offered him a smirk as I purred, "Does it matter?"

"I suppose it doesn't," I hissed softly as he began to stitch up the deep cuts, "Though I have to ask, how does any of it become meaningful?"

"Real emotions need to be involved," I tried to keep myself still as my tail twitched from the pain, "Only once emotions are involved do the acts become meaningful,"

"So if I kissed you, you wouldn't care?" He asked in that same husky tone as he expertly stitched up my cuts.

"Nope," I tried to smirk as I teased him, "Why? Do you want to kiss me again?"

"Perhaps," I grimaced before sighing in relief as he finished.

Law bandaged up my fingers and offered me a smirk. I returned it while hoping off the exam table. He leaned down until his breath was brushing against my lips, but before anything could happen, I moved away and made my way towards the doors. I tossed a grin towards him once I reached him and had to admit he looked cute with his shocked expression, "Even if kisses don't matter, you still have to work for them."

With that taunt, I left the room and headed towards the kitchen. My tail swished behind me as I smirked smugly.

* * *

Law stared after Ariun with surprise before he began to smirk. Oh so she wanted to play that game did she? He chuckled as he began cleaning up, "Ariun-ya you just started a game that won't end with you as the winner."

* * *

When lunch came, Law found Ariun sitting with the twins, Maki, Kuro, Atsushi, and Yamire. She looked up as he entered the room and caught his eyes. She smirked at him and he smirked at her in return. He grabbed his meal and walked over to his usual table. Bepo looked at him with slight confusion, "Captain?"

"Yes Bepo?" Law asked as he took his usual seat.

"Why did Ari-chan and you smirk at each other?" Shachi and Penguin looked at him with interest.

He didn't miss the slight suspicion in either of their eyes, but ignored it as he said, "Ariun-ya and I reached an understand."

"What kind of understanding?" Shachi asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

Law was slightly amused at the man's actions even if it did piss him off that Shachi was questioning him. He brushed it off as he smirked, "Don't worry about it. It's nothing special."

Law turned his attention to his food though he didn't miss the slightly worried look Shachi and Penguin shared. He wondered what that was about, but brushed it off for now. It probably didn't concern him.

* * *

I was sitting down at my desk when my door was thrown open. I turned my head as I asked, "What the hell-"

"Ari-chan!" Penguin and Shachi rushed over to me, "Please tell us it isn't so!"

"Tell you what?" Confusion gripped me as the two wailed.

"Please tell us that Captain and you aren't getting together!" They wailed making my eyebrow twitch.

I felt irritation form inside of me upon hearing those words even as I smiled sweetly and cooed, "Boys?" They looked at me and paled slightly, "What gave you that idea?"

"Captain said you two came to an understanding!" Penguin answered me.

"And he wouldn't tell us what kind of understanding!" Shachi continued.

"And you assumed we were together?" My eyebrow was twitching even more now.

"Yes," They both shrunk away from me.

"Boys you will go and do your jobs," I said in the same sweet voice while glaring at them, "You will not tell anyone about what has happened. Understand?" They nodded quickly, "You will assure everyone that you're fine and if you said anything, you will say that your imaginations got away from you," They both swallowed hard, "Law and I aren't together. You will not assume that we are again. If you do, I will make sure neither of you manage to score another girl on any of the islands we go to. Got that?"

"Yes Ma'am!" They squeaked out.

"Go," They tore off and I rolled my eyes.

"Wusses," I walked over to my door and closed it.

Honestly, why the hell would they think we were together? I will admit Law was really fucking hot and I wouldn't mind getting together with him. Hell if we just ended up fucking at some point, I would be really happy. Who wouldn't want a piece of him? I shook my head as I returned to my desk. Law was a great guy, but I seriously doubt he'd want someone with such a shitty past like mine. It was just impossible. I smirked as I sat down and leaned back against my chair. It's going to be interesting to play this game with him. I wonder if he realizes that he's going to lose? I snorted and opened my sketchbook to practice using my left hand again. He's probably so cocky that losing is far from his mind. I grinned down at the blank page before me. Oh Law you might be hot, but you really shouldn't play this kind of game with me. I'm not some kind of pet you can play with after all.

* * *

"So we're out of the storm system?" I asked Bepo with a slight smile, "Does that mean we're going to surface soon?"

"Yes," Bepo grinned at me.

I hugged the bear with joy and he snickered softly as he hugged me back. I rubbed my cheek against his as the other navigators snorted and shook their heads. I stuck my tongue out at them, "You guys are just jealous that I'm hugging Bepo not you."

I was given multiple eye rolls and snickers as they turned back to their posts. Bepo let go of me and I did the same which allowed him to get back to work. I walked over to the window and placed my hand on the cold glass. Swarms of fish swam past, I smiled at the beauty of the ocean just as I heard Bepo say, "Captain we've made it out of the storm system and should be able to surface soon."

"Good," I kept my eyes on the fish while feeling a pair of eyes focus on me, "How long has Ariun-ya been here?"

"A few minutes," Bepo answered as I marveled at the sight of so many diffrent types of fish, "She done cooking for the day,"

I heard Law approach me and murmured, "Sometimes I can't believe how beautiful it is down here."

"You're not scared anymore?" He asked while standing next to me.

"I was never actually scared," I giggled at the thought, "Water doesn't scare me. The fact we were traveling in what was basically a metal box scared me a little," I looked at the water longingly, "I used to love to go swimming in the hotsprings my island used to have before they became too polluted to really be of use,"

Silence fell between us with only the sounds of the navigators at work and the quiet thrum of the engine to keep us company.

* * *

I breathed in the fresh air before shifting into leopard form and darting across the deck. The navigators had waited until the next day to surface which was a slight disappointment, but still! Fresh air and warm sunlight! I heard a few laughs as I darted around only to stop as my right paw began to hurt. I flopped down and shifted back into my human form. I pouted at the bandaged fingers that greeted me. Buck walked over and asked, "Forgot about those Darlin'?"

I nodded before shrugging, "Can't be helped. Sunlight is still good even if I can't play around."

To emphasis my point, I stretched out with a yawn and laid my head on my arms. Buck chuckled and shook his head as he took a seat nearby. Shachi and Penguin walked out of the door next, caught sight of me, and yelped before taking off back inside. I watched them go as my tail twitched in amusement and Buck asked, "What did you do to them?"

"I might've scared them into not letting their imaginations run away from them," I offered innocently before yawning again, "I'm going to take a nap. Mind waking me up in an hour?"

"No problem Darlin'," Buck grinned at me and I nodded before closing my eyes.

* * *

Law looked at Buck as the man clutched his nose before looking at the napping Ariun, "What exactly happened?"

"Darlin' asked if I could wake her up from her nap an hour ago," The chef explained while giving Ariun a small glare, "When I tried to wake her up, she clocked me in the face,"

Law chuckled and waved the man away, "Go get some ice for yourself, I'll wake her up."

Buck walked away with a grumble as Law knelt down next to Ariun. He placed a hand on her shoulder and caught the fist aimed at his face. He marveled at how her muscles moved under her skin as he kept the fist from meeting his nose. Realizing that wouldn't wake her up, he reached towards her cheek and began to rub at the whisker-scars there. Ariun let out a low moan and leaned into his touch. When that didn't work, he realized that she wasn't going to wake up until she was ready. Wondering if this was because of her power, he stood up as Bepo walked out of the sub. Bepo looked at Ariun, "Ari-chan?"

"She's asleep," He informed the bear, "Bring her inside and take her to my room. I need to go speak with Maki-ya and Kuro-ya,"

 **End.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I groaned softly as I slowly came to only to find myself not on the warm sunlit deck, but somewhere that while not dark it was still darker than outside. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. I was lying on something soft which only added to my confusion. Frowning, I sniffed the air lightly and Law's scent hit me like a shit ton of bricks. I rubbed at my eyes and blinked slightly as everything came into focus. I was laying on Law's bed, but why? I frowned and sat up slightly while glancing around the room. Law wasn't in here which only made this feel more than a little wrong. I scented the air once more and picked up Bepo's scent. So Bepo had brought me here, but why? Before I could come to any conclusions, the door opened and Law walked in. He didn't seem to notice that I was awake, which from the dark expression he was wearing, it was a good thing. I laid back again and closed my eyes once more in hopes of not gaining his attention. I heard him walk over to me and felt his fingers brush against my cheek as he muttered, "How do you deal with those two idiots?" I wonder who he meant, "Why the hell didn't they mention this when they were telling me about your power and the consequences of using it?" I almost froze at those words and quickly came to the assumption that I had been asleep longer than my hour long nap, "How are you still not done recovering from using your power?"

I decided it was time to 'wake up' and groaned softly. Law's fingers stayed on my cheek as my eyes slowly opened and I blinked in fake confusion, "What the fuck? I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on the deck..."

"Buck-ya couldn't wake you up from your nap," I turned towards Law and he smirked at me in amusement, "You punched him in the nose,"

Immediately, I felt bad for the guy, "Damn. How angry is he?"

"Irritated though expect him to give you bland food when he's on duty," Law chuckled as his thumb rubbed against one of my whisker marks drawing a low moan from me, "Ariun-ya care to tell me why you wouldn't wake up?"

I opened my mouth to speak only to snap it shut as Law's thumb continued to rub against my cheek. I reached up and grabbed his hand to stop him, "Please stop doing that," He just smirked at me in amusement, "As for your question, I guess I'm not finished recovering just yet."

"Why is that?" He set his other hand on my cheek and ran his thumb across the whiskers there.

I shuddered and grabbed his other hand with my injured one, "My best guess it had been 3 months since the last time I had used it. I've never gone without using it that long before."

"I see," He drew closer and withdrew his hands from mine, "How long do you think it'll be before you recover fully?"

"Another day or two," I propped myself up using my elbows, "Why did you have Bepo bring me to your room?"

Law looked at me curiously and I inwardly cursed myself for asking that question, "How do you know Bepo brought you in here?"

"I scented the air," I bit my bottom lip hoping he would asked about when I did it.

He once more pulled my bottom lip from between my teeth only this time he ran his thumb against it. I almost shivered at the feeling of him doing that and stared up at him. He smirked at me, "Ariun-ya didn't you listen to me last time? You shouldn't bite your lip. You'll end up biting through it if you don't."

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes, "That isn't likely to happen,"

"Oh it is," He leaned down and I felt his breath against my lips, "It's also easier for your partner to break through the skin,"

I moved my head slightly and felt his lips press against my cheek. He pulled back and I smirked up at him.

* * *

Law stared down at her before chuckling as she teased, "Thought you'd have it easy?"

"Perhaps," He pinned her against the bed and straddled her hips, "Though I have to admit," He leaned down as she wriggled under him, "I'm somewhat surprise you wish to play this game with me,"

He bit back a hiss as she rubbed up against him. Smirking up at him, she replied, "A game to pass the time is always useful," Her lips twitched into a teasing grin, "Besides, it's amusing that you think you'll win."

His eyes narrowed, "You think you'll be able to win?"

"I know I'll win," Her smirk turned taunting, "It's just a matter of time before you realize it,"

He growled softly at the taunt and pressed his body against hers as he captured her lips in a searing kiss. She kissed him back after a few seconds and he marveled at the feeling. Once the need for air became too much, he pulled back, "You won't win."

She snorted as he moved off of her, "I will win. It'd be a piss pour game if one of us gave up at the beginning."

He chuckled as she sat up next to him, "I suppose so."

"So why have Bepo bring me in here rather than have him take me to my own room?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He realized that he didn't have an answer to that question. Another question he had no answer to when it involved her. Offering her a smirk, He said, "I felt like it."

She hummed before shrugging, "Guess that's an okay answer," She moved towards the edge of the bed and stood up, "I should go and see if they need my help in the kitchen."

He felt slightly amused and a little more than confused at how calm she was acting, "Ariun-ya it's almost dinner time. They won't have anything for you to do."

Ariun swore to his amusement, "Damn I've been asleep for over six hours."

He chuckled just as someone called out that dinner was ready.

* * *

"Ari-chan you okay?" Okay so Shachi wasn't scared of me anymore.

"I'm fine still a little tired," I waved off his concern as I sat down with my plate of food.

Before Shachi could argue, Law spoke up, "Ariun-ya is fine Shachi-ya. She just needs to rest some more," He then turned his attention to me, "You're off kitchen duty for the next two days."

"What am I going to be doing in the meantime?" I wasn't feeling too bad about not helping make food.

I had no problem whatsoever with Law's order save for the small fact that I needed something to do other than sleep. Law seemed to have realized that fact from my question as he replied, "You will act as my assistant for the duration of those two days."

Nodding my head, I began eating while grimacing slightly at the bland taste. I ignored the looks Shachi and Penguin were giving me. Well for the most part. I might've shot them a glare and now they were very pale. Law seemed amused by that and a questioning look caused me to smirk at him.

* * *

"Ariun-ya I want you to come to my office in an hour," Law told me as I sat down with my plate of food.

I nodded my head and began eating while trying not to grimace at how bland my food tasted. Law hadn't lied about Buck giving me bland food for punching him in the nose. I mentally promised myself to apologize to him at some point.

* * *

"So what are we going to be doing?" Ariun asked as she took a seat across from him.

"You'll be working on the finances as I look over the supply count that was given to me," He informed her while holding out the papers she would need.

She took them and set them on the desk in front of her. She reached into the canvas bag she was almost always carrying and took out a notebook as well as a pencil. She opened the notebook before grabbing the first of the papers he had given her and began to look it over. He nodded to himself and began reading over his own set of papers.

* * *

I yawned softly and stretched a bit causing my back to crack. I rubbed the back of my neck and murmured, "Finished."

Law looked at me with slight amusement, "It took you two hours."

I shrugged in reply, "So? I redid all my calculations eight times just to be sure of everything."

"Eight times?" He looked at me with a small bit of surprise.

"It's best to be sure of everything you can be," I yawned again as I leaned back against the chair, "Just like you when you're fighting an opponent and don't know if they'll die from a bullet to the heart, you should either shoot them in the head, break their neck, or cut off their head to be sure,"

"You're using the bounty hunter from the last island as an example," Law stated more than asked.

I nodded while frowning softly, "I'm still wondering what devil fruit he ate."

"We'll never know," He looked at the clock he had in the room, "Go to the kitchens and get something for me to snack on," I stood up with another yawn, "Take a nap after you come back,"

"Aye," I yawned out as I left the room.

* * *

After delivering Law his snack and some coffee, I headed to my room and laid down on my bed. Yawning softly, I curled up and fell asleep.

* * *

After waking up from my nap and grabbing lunch, Law had me follow him into the infirmary. He gestured to one of the exam beds, "Take a seat. I want to see how your injured hand is doing."

Nodding, I walked over to the bed and took a seat. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a yawn and muttered, "Damn I can't believe I'm still tried."

I removed the bandages before Law could ask. He looked over the rapidly fading cuts and nodded, "Seems that all of them are doing well," He looked at the two cuts he had to stitch up, "The stitches can come out."

He went about doing so and I asked, "What do you want me to do after this?"

"Take another nap or something," He seemed slightly amused for whatever reason, "You're still really tired,"

Humming softly, I nodded, "Kay."

* * *

Law watched her leave the infirmary as he was cleaning up and frowned as he recalled what Maki had told him...

 _"Maki-ya, Ariun-ya isn't waking up from her nap," Law informed the gold eyed medic upon finding him in crew's lounge._

 _Maki looked up from the medical book in his lap and seemed to consider his words before asking, "Was she warm?"_

 _"She was laying on the deck," He felt slightly irritated at the lack of answers._

 _"Dude she isn't going to wake up if she's warm," Kuro pipped up from Maki's side._

 _"When Storm hasn't used her powers for a while, her internal temperature takes a nosedive," Maki reminded while placing a bookmark in his book, "It takes a while for her internal temperature to return to normal unless she surrounded by warmth constantly," Law felt his irritation sky rocket at the fact these idiots hadn't told him this before, "Her body is more receptive to heat if she's asleep thus she is naturally more tired,"_

 _"Basically, she needs to sleep a shit load in order to regain her normal temperature," Kuro summarized._

 _"If you want to speed up the process, she'd need to be in close contact with someone that has a high internal temperature," Maki continued as if Kuro hadn't even spoken, "The best way for her to do that is to sleep beside someone,"_

He shook that memory away and sighed softly. Perhaps he should have her sleep with Bepo tonight? He threw that idea away almost immediatly. It wasn't that he minded it, but something in him rebelled at the thought her sleeping with someone else. He groaned at that thought. Why the hell did he have a problem with it? He shook his head and finished cleaning up. He would tell her to sleep with Bepo tonight.

* * *

"You want Bepo and I to sleep together?" I looked at Law with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"Maki-ya has told me that it would help increase your internal temperature faster which should help you fully recover from the use of your ability," Law informed me.

I noticed that the emotions in his eyes seemed conflicted, but brushed it off since it probably had nothing to do with me. I looked at Bepo and asked, "Do you wanna sleep with me?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Sure."

I turned to Law and nodded, "Okay Bepo and I will sleep in my room tonight."

* * *

Law glared at his ceiling as he failed to fall asleep for the tenth time tonight. Why the hell couldn't he just fall asleep?

 **End**


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I yawned and stretched before grinning at Bepo. The navigator was still sleeping and looking even more adorable. I glanced towards the port holes and judged by the light that it was at least eight. Nodding to myself, I slipped out of bed and grabbed my clothes for the day before hoping into the shower.

* * *

Law glared at the clock telling him that it was eight in the morning and grit his teeth. Why the hell couldn't he do something as simple as fall asleep?

* * *

When I walked out of my room, Bepo was up and yawning, "Morning Sweetie."

"Morning Ari-chan," Bepo smiled at me, "Did you sleep good?"

"I feel a lot better than I have since we landed on the last island," I told the bear with a grin, "Let's go get some breakfast,"

"Kay!" The bear got out of my bed and the two of us made our way to the galley.

We met up with Shachi and Penguin on the way up. Both seemed nervous, but Shachi commented, "You look better today."

"I feel a lot better," The ginger haired man seemed relieved, "But my threat still stands,"

Both mechanics pale a little at that, Bepo looked at me in surprise, "You threatened Shachi and Penguin?"

"Their imagination got away from them," I informed the bear as we walked up the stairs and onto the next floor, "Hopefully this will convince them to not over exaggerate,"

"Hopefully!" The bear beamed making me giggle softly.

"Oi! It's not funny!" Both pale mechanics shouted.

"Sorry," Bepo immediatly deflated.

"Don't do that!" I face palm at their action.

"Sorry," I wrapped an arm around Bepo while glaring at Shachi and Penguin.

"It's alright Bepo," We reached the galley and walked inside, "They're just being mean,"

We reached the buffet style tables and picked up our breakfasts before heading to our table.

* * *

Law looked up at the group of four reached the table before addressing the sole female, "Our bounties went up."

She sat down and took the newspaper as he held it out to her, "I'm now at 69 million beri while you're at 100 million."

Before she could speak further, Kuro took the newspaper from her, "Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law and Spotted Death Snow D. Ariun kill the Flake Bounty Hunters? When the hell did you two encounter bounty hunters?"

"Last island. It's why I had blood on me when we returned to the hotel," Ariun informed the green eyed man, "Not to mention our bounties probably increased because of the raid on that shelter place," She then frowned, "I wonder why you guys don't have a bounty yet,"

"Perhaps it's because we haven't gone out of our way to make ourselves noticeable," Maki replied and Ariun opened her mouth to protest.

"Ariun-ya perhaps it's for the best," She turned to look at Law with a frown and question in her eyes, "If they are not well known, they can easily slip into places we wouldn't be able to because of our fame,"

"Right," She hummed softly, "Perhaps that's for the best,"

Law looked at her curiously as he wondered what she meant. Shachi asked the question before he could voice it, "What do you mean Ari-chan?"

"Well if you guys don't have bounties and switch up your outfits, you could actually infiltrate places," Ariun explained with a smirk appearing on her face, "Once inside, you could feed us information that we could use to either fight opponents or find areas that have stuff we want to steal," She looked at him, "Wouldn't that be a good idea?"

Law contemplated the idea before nodding, "It would be a fairly good idea, but not many of the crew know how to sneak into places."

Ariun smirked, "Give them to Maki, Kuro, and me, we'll get them good at it in no time."

* * *

Law laid back against Bepo as Ariun curled up in her leopard form next to them. No one else was on deck making it the perfect place to nap. He moved his hat over his eyes and made himself comfortable before trying to fall asleep. He was slightly surprised and a little annoyed when Ariun spoke, "Law have you made a decision on whether or not to allow the guys and I to train some of the crew?"

He mentally sighed at the question and contemplated what to say. While the idea had plenty of merit and would be a fairly good idea, he knew it would also be risky. He rationalized that having more information about the places they would steal from would lead to them gaining more from the excursions, but it also might lead to his men getting hurt. But then again, piracy was a job where you were guaranteed to get hurt at any point in time. He sighed out loud, "Ariun-ya even if you do manage to teach them, you can't guarantee that they will not get hurt."

"They're pirates," She retorted with a small huff, "They're bound to get hurt,"

He felt slightly frustrated at her words, "Ariun-ya-"

"Law I know you care about them," He pushed up his hat to glare at her for the interruption, "I do too, but how many of them are actually doing a lot on this ship?" He opened his mouth only to argue as he remembered some of the complaining about their lack of work, "I've heard quite a few of them talk about needing more to do. They don't feel useful when they're not doing the small amount of jobs they have," He closed his eyes at her reasoning, "I know you don't want to hear this from me since I'm still new and you're the captain,"

"What would you suggest I do?" He bit out while trying to push down his irritation and anger at the situation.

"Let us train some of them," He opened his eyes to look at her, "If we can teach them to sneak into places, it will give them another job to do and help us get more information,"

"More information?" He asked while sitting up slightly.

She nodded her head, "Joker has people in a lot of diffrent places and those people will keep records. You can have the crew get information with ease without Joker's people or Joker himself realizing it."

Law took in the information and toyed with the idea before nodding, "Alright. I'll allow you three to train them, but I want Kaze to help."

Rather than argue like he thought she might, she nodded with an almost smile on her transformed face, "Kaze will actually be a lot of help. I was planning on requesting that he join us."

"You'll begin training a small group of crew members in two days," Law ordered her, "They will be your main focus,"

"So no cooking duty for me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll be helping to make breakfast, but that's it," He leaned back against Bepo, "Until that group is good enough to not need your constant help, you will be focused on training them when they're not needed,"

"Alright," She laid her head on her paws, "Who are we training?"

"I'll make that decision later," She shrugged and closed her eyes.

Glad for the change in topic, he returned to his previous position and fell asleep.

* * *

Once again, Law found himself glaring at his ceiling as sleep continued to evade him. He had taken a nap earlier in the day with Bepo and Ariun which allowed him some rest, but now he couldn't even catch a wink. Growling to himself, he got up and grabbed his sleep pants from the floor beside his bed. He pulled them on as he decided to head up to the top deck for some fresh air.

* * *

I stared up at the brightly lit sky and the moon the overshadowed their light. It was almost funny in a way. The night's greatest draw were the stars, yet the moon took the focus when it was full. I found it slightly melancholic that the stars beauty was taken by the moon just as the beauty of the clouds was taken by the sun. Unlike the clouds however, the stars were given much reprieve seeing as the moon could only overshadow them three days a month. My lips twitch slightly at those thoughts as my eyes burned slightly from the tears that wanted to fall. I almost jumped as I heard, "Ariun-ya what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," I nearly cursed at the slight tremble in my words.

Why the hell hadn't I heard him approach? Oh right my memories were getting to me. Before my thoughts could become bitter, I felt a hand on my shoulder prompting me to turn my head to see Law looking at me. He looked slightly uncomfortable and I wondered why even as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," My voice trembled and I wanted to curse.

Law sighed and I was surprised to feel his arms around my waist. He pulled me against him and I relished in the warmth while feeling very confused, "Ariun-ya I dislike liars and repeating myself. Tell me what's wrong."

I bit my bottom lip only for him to remove it from between my teeth. Sighing softly, I murmured tiredly, "My mind decided that today was the best day to remind me of my mother."

"Your mother?" Law's head settled on mine.

I was slightly surprised at the action, but I decided to take what comfort I could get, "You know how I got up so quickly after our nap and took off?"

"Yes. I was slightly pissed off at you for doing that," My lips twitched slightly, "Why did you take off?"

* * *

"I needed to get away from everyone to get myself to calm down," He frowned at that, "I ended up remembering the night my mother died,"

"I thought you couldn't remember your nightmares," He would punish her for lying to him.

She shook her head and he marveled at how soft her hair was, "It wasn't a nightmare. Before we ended up getting chased by a mob and her being killed, we were having a really nice day. It was one of the best days we'd ever had," He felt her tremble slightly and grimaced as something in him twisted at the thought of her crying, "My mom took me out shopping and bought me this really nice set of drawing supplies that I had wanted for a really long time. She did it because I had managed to do a half-transformation. She was so proud of me and took me out to dinner to celebrate," Her voice trembled and he felt her press a little closer to him prompting him to wrap his arms around her a little more, "It was after dinner that we ended up encountering the mob. I...I..."

She shook her head again, "Ariun-ya..."

"Why does it still hurt?" He felt her shaking and wetness hitting his arm, "Why won't it stop hurting?"

"Because she was your mother," He felt his heart ache at the sound of her voice, "It's only natural for it to hurt even after so many years," It still hurt for him to think of his family and Corazan as well, "The pain won't truly go away. It'll still hurt, but the hurt eases when you remember the good memories,"

She was quiet, but he felt her shaking ease. She spoke after a few minutes as she raised a hand to her face, "How do you know?"

"Because I've lost the people that I loved," He wondered why he was telling her this, "It still hurts, but every time I remember the good memories of them, it eases a little,"

She turned her head towards him and he caught sight of the tear tracks going down her cheeks. The sight of them made something inside of him twist. She stared into his eyes for a little before reaching up and cupping his cheek. He tensed at the contact, but she didn't seem to notice. Her voice was soft as she finally spoke after a while, "The darkness in your eyes stems from the deaths of those you loved," She moved away from him and slipped out of his arms, "You know what I feel, yet it's much worse for you because it wasn't just one person," She turned fully towards him, "I must be pathetic if losing just one person affects me the way it does when you lost so many, yet the pain never shows in front of others."

"You aren't pathetic," She seemed surprised at hearing him say that, "Everyone feels and deals with pain in diffrent ways, so you shouldn't be pathetic,"

She smiled slightly before moving back over to him and kissing him. She pulled away after a few minutes and murmured, "Perhaps you're right," She moved away from him and turned her head towards the moon before heading towards the door, "Goodnight and thank you Law."

He stared after her before looking up at the moon. He groaned softly and muttered, "What the hell is going on with me?"

He was answered with waves crashing gently against the sub and a soft breeze.

 **End**


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Start

* * *

I offered the group of six a smile as we waited for Maki, Kuro, and Kaze to join us. The group consisted of five mechanics and one navigator. Shinji, Rook, Josh, Callen, and Kiri were the mechanics. The navigator was called Shippo. Out of all of them, Shippo was the only one that really stuck me as someone that could be good at this if only because he reminded me of a kitsune. I wonder if he had a devil fruit and if it allowed him to transform into a kitsune. Before my thoughts could really take off, Shippo spoke, "So what're we doin' exactly?"

"You guys are going to learn the fine art of infiltration," I was met with dubious looks and mentally rolled my eyes, "One of the things we're going to teach you is how to break into places without being noticed,"

"Why would we want to do that?" Callen asked with a slight sneer, "What can a woman like you teach us?"

Inwardly rolling my eyes, I kept a passive smile on my face, "If you can infiltrate a place we want to steal from, you can get important information that would keep us from running into trouble. As for what I can teach you," I darted towards him and wrapped my arms around his throat with a dagger, held loosely by my tail, aimed at his jugular, "Speed, stealth, and so much more is child's play to me. Just because I'm a woman," I released Callen and returned to my former resting place against the wall, "Doesn't mean shit. If anything, it makes doing such things easier since most rich men won't think a pretty face could be a threat."

I tossed my dagger into the air as Callen snorted, "So fucking wha-"

Without a thought, I flicked my dagger towards him and watched as he slammed his hand against his neck. My dagger was imbedded in the wall of the training room behind him and I offered the man a smirk as I watched him remove his hand which revealed a small trail of blood coming from a thin almost not there cut, "I don't miss Callen dear. If I wanted to, I could kill each and every person on this ship before they realized it," I offered the suddenly pale group a sweet smile, "It's a good thing we're all members of the same crew isn't it?"

They nodded as the trio we were waiting for walked in. Kuro took one look at the scene in front of him before let out a bark-like laugh. Maki looked at me in amusement and asked, "Which one?"

I gestured to Callen, "Cal-dear decided it would be such a good idea to underestimate what a woman could do," I offered the still bleeding man a look of faux concern, "Perhaps you should go to the infirmary. Bleeding like that isn't good for training."

Before the man could utter a single word, Kuro walked over to him and threw him over his shoulder, "I'll take him. You guys get the basics down."

We watched Kuro leave with a red faced Callen and I yawned before looking at the others, "Okay we'll see where you stand and start from there."

* * *

Law looked up from his files when the door the infirmary was thrown open, "Kuro-ya what are-" He caught sight of the struggling green haired man, "What happened to Callen-ya?"

Kuro let the struggling man drop to the floor, "Bastard decided to be the one idiot on this crew to underestimate what Storm could do," Callen laid there for a few moments as Law stared at the man incredulously, "He's lucky that we're crewmates or he might have more than a scratch on his neck."

Law felt his anger rise. Part of it was from Callen being an idiot and letting his past rule him. Another part of it was at Ariun for hurting a crewmate. He mentally groaned before watching Kuro leave. Callen was standing up and Law gestured to one of the exam beds while he stood up from his desk. He gathered some supplies and made his way over to the sitting green haired man. He looked at the bleeding neck before asking, "Callen-ya do you know how close you are to dying?"

"What?!" The green haired male paled, "But that bitch missed-" He paused before murmuring, "She said that she doesn't miss..."

"Just a few inches closer and you would have been bleeding out," Law felt slightly amused at the fear coming off the man, "Callen-ya she is just as much a member of this crew as you are, so treat her with the respect you do the rest of the crew,"

Law took a closer look at the wound and mentally calculated just how close to death the man had been. Upon finding the results, he found himself glad for taking Ariun on as a crew member once again. Just a single inch more and Callen's external jugular would have been severed. He chuckled softly as he worked to close the wound, "Callen-ya you will have to wait a few days before you can train with Ariun-ya and the others."

Callen froze before swallowing, "A-alright."

Once Law finished, he sent Callen off while smirking in amusement. While he was still angry at what happened, he was too intrigued by Ariun's skill at wielding her daggers. While he had seen plenty of her skill, it was clear that she didn't show off half of that skill most of the time. Perhaps he should spar with Ariun and see just what she could do without her devil fruit. It would be rather nice to see where he stood against a skilled opponent and if it turned out that they were somewhat close in skill, they could continue to spar and grow stronger together. He felt his smirk grow and nodded to himself. Yes that was perhaps the best use of his time when not busy with his duty as a captain or studying his new medical journals.

* * *

I blocked Shippo's kick and nodded to the man causing him to back up, "You're pretty good at hand to hand and finding the weak points of the body. With a few adjustments and adding a weapon to your style, you'll definitely be good at this."

"Really?" Shippo's grass green eyes lit up as he ducked his head under the rim of his black minstrel hat and tugged at one of his exposed red bangs.

I had to admit he was kind of cute doing that. The bashfulness and the fact he had yet to lose the boyish edge to his features made the twenty year old quite cute. I avoided saying it aloud since it would both make this awkward and I felt uncomfortable saying such things. I mentally grimace as I turned to watch the spar going on between Kaze and Kiri. Why was it that I could flirt with and tease Law without any trouble, but I couldn't do the same to Shippo? I mentally sighed and ran a hand through my hair as I turned my attention to the other sparring matches. Kuro was currently paired with Rook while Maki was currently paired with Shinji. Josh was leaning against the nearby wall; I winced at the sight of the blooming bruise on the man's cheek. I had sparred with Josh first to set the tone and found the man to be an excellent fighter. Because of that, I hadn't held back and Josh had suffered for it. Sure the black spiky haired man had waved me off, but I still felt sorry for red eyed man. I walked over to him and he offered me a smile though he winced, "How'd Ship do?"

"Fairly well," I eyed his cheek, "How are your ribs?"

"They're fine. I'm going to see Captain after you dismiss us," He waved off my concern, "Don't be sorry about that. It was bound to happen since I could tell you needed a good fight,"

"Still I should have held back like I was supposed to," I blushed lightly in embarrassment, "I'm usually better at it than that,"

"Can't be helped now," Josh once against waved off my apology, "Ship how'd you think you did?"

"Good," The green eyed red head eyed the black haired man, "You okay Bro?"

"Fine," I stared at the two in surprise.

"You two are siblings?" It didn't make that much sense since they didn't have any underlying scents that spoke of kinship.

They shook their head, "We're brothers through bond not blood. We used to work as mercenaries before Cap. found us and offered us the chance to join," Josh offered Shippo a grin, "Ship here was the navigator of our mercenary band while I was the second in command. The boss we were under got himself killed and Cap. took us in."

Ah that explained why they both could keep up with me.

* * *

After the sparring matches ended, we figured out where to start with them. It was lucky for us that each of them had some experience even if it wasn't a lot. It gave us a base. Once we dismissed them, I helped Shippo take Josh to the infirmary. I had found some sort of companionship with the two over their past as mercenaries and the fact we had a few common clients. Law looked up as we entered and asked, "What happened to Josh-ya?"

"I got excited when he showed that he could keep up with me during our spar and didn't hold back like I should have," I flushed with embarrassment as I admitted that, "Sorry about that,"

"This is the second crewmember you sent in here," Law commented as we helped Josh to the exam table, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Well Cap," Josh grinned sheepishly, "My cheek hurts quite a bit after Neko-chan here hit me," I offered him a dry look for that nickname, "My ribs hurt a little bit and are bruised from what I can tell. My left leg aches a bit every time I step on it,"

Law offered me a look of amusement as I ducked my head, "Sorry."

After that, Law sent us out and I walked with Shippo towards the main deck since we were currently above water. I took a seat on the railing and Shippo commented, "Josh'll be fine and he's probably kicking himself for losing to you."

"Really?" I offered the red haired man a raised eyebrow.

"Yup," He leaned against the railing and stared out at the waves, "Josh was the second in command of our band of mercs after all. The fact he lost to a girl five years his junior is probably like a kick to the teeth for him," He let out a laugh, "But it'll teach him to not get cocky. The only one who really challenged my brother was the Captain and Captain always wins,"

"So it's like having his eyes opened?" I asked while watching the clouds float overhead.

"Yup," Shippo snickered softly, "It's a shame I didn't get to take a picture of you taking him down," Yup Shippo could be a fox in mischievousness alone, "The thing ya gotta watch out for is getting complacent-"

"Don't worry about that," I cut him off while rubbing my right arm as it flared in phantom pain, "I'm not about to get complacent...Not again,"

* * *

"She's strong Cap," Law listened to Josh as he made sure that the man did indeed only have bruised ribs, "She could probably give you a run for your money if you sparred with her," The black haired man's red eyes looked at his fuzzy hat wearing Captain, "You gonna spar with her or those other two soon?"

"I'm planning to," Law smirked upon seeing Josh grin, "Ariun-ya and I will spar on the next island. I'll spar with Maki-ya and Kuro-ya soon enough,"

"Cap she's a fast one," Law paid close attention to the red eyed man, "And flexible in ways that remind me of a cat,"

"Hence the nickname 'Neko-chan'," Law summarized with slight amusement while recalling the dry look Ariun had given Josh.

The beat up man nodded, "Yup. Oh and watch out for her tail. She abuses the shit out of it and those rings she's wearing only give you a little warning. If it weren't for those rings, I probably woulda been on my ass faster than you could say 'Neko'."

"Noted," Law's idea to spar with Ariun was getting better by the moment.

Law quickly finished with Josh after that and smirked as he cleaned up the supplies he used. If Josh was telling the truth, Ariun would be a tricky opponent. With what he had seen of her skills, Law was willing to agree with Josh. A spar between them would interesting indeed.

 **End**


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **Do you guys want me to start replying to reviews on here?**

* * *

Start

* * *

I walked into the galley as the clock approached midnight and offered Law a raised eyebrow, "Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same question," He looked even more tired than before.

"I got caught up drawing and just now noticed the time," I moved towards the kitchen, "What about you?"

Law didn't answer me as I entered the kitchen and went about making a fresh pot of coffee. Once that was done, I grabbed two cups, filled them with the fresh coffee, and made one the way I liked it. I took both mugs out into the galley and handed Law his black coffee. He took it with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

I snorted softly as I sat down across from him, "You looked like you needed it," I blew on mine to help cool it down, "So what are you doing up so late?"

"Reading," Law answered while eyeing his cup.

"It's black," I told him, "I know you don't like anything else even if add sugar would help keep you awake,"

He finally took a sip of his coffee after blowing it off and sighed softly, "Thank you," I waved him off, "How is the training going?"

"Considering the fact we've only been at it for a week and a half," I took a sip of my liquid heaven and sighed softly, "They're doing fairly well. Shippo is rather adept and able to pick things up quickly," I leaned back slightly, "It makes me wonder if he was kitsune or something in a past life,"

Law chuckled softly, "You wouldn't be the first to say that. Had it not been for Shippo and Josh joining my crew, they would have bounties by now."

"No doubt," I murmured in agreement, "From what I've heard from them and from some common clients, they're good at what they do,"

Silence settled over us and I found myself enjoying it. Out of everyone on this sub, I had found that only Maki, Yamire, and Law were able to stay silent for a long time. Even Bepo was prone to speaking or making some sort of noise, I would admit Bepo was very cute when he did it, but silence was a very nice thing. Law broke the silence after a while, "Callen-ya hasn't been causing you trouble, has he?"

"No," I was somewhat grateful for that, "Then again, I have Kuro or Kaze taining him most of the time,"

Law nodded in acknowledgement, "I had a feeling that you would do that," He smirked at the grin I offered him before it disappeared and Law looked serious, "Ariun-ya when we reach the next island, you are going to spar with me."

* * *

Law was slightly surprised and happy upon seeing Ariun's face light up. She grinned largely and eagerly, "Really?"

"Yes," He couldn't keep the amusement he felt out of his tone, "You're excited?"

"Of course!" She took a sip of her coffee and seemed to calm down, "You are a strong opponent and it would be a very nice way to see how well I do against you,"

He offered her a raised eyebrow, "You do not believe you would win?"

She shook her head, "Not really," She ran a hand through her hair as she smiled sheepishly, "You probably have a lot more formal training and stuff then I do, so I'm not going to hold my breath," She closed her eyes for a few minutes before opening them, "I have a small bit of hope that I can beat you."

Hearing her reasons, he could see her point. While he hated to admit it, the pink bastard had made sure he was trained. Deciding to make things a little interesting, he offered, "How about we start out just using our natural abilities without our devil fruits?"

She nodded with a slight smile, "That's reasonable."

* * *

Law turned his head slightly when he felt something soft brush against the bare part of his arm. Ariun was in her leopard form and had her paws on the railing as she looked at the approaching island. He felt slightly amused at the sight and lifted up his hand to settle it on her head. She turned her head lightly to look at him as he did that, "Ariun-ya."

"Law," She greeted before turning to look back at the island they were approaching.

"Our spar will wait until after we know when the log-pose will set," He informed her and gained a small growl of agreement from her, "Depending on when it sets, we'll either spar today or tomorrow,"

"Good," Her tail flicked behind her as she eyed the island they were approaching, "The air is becoming warmer,"

"It is a summer island after all," He was slightly worried about how Bepo would take the heat since the bear didn't have the luxury of being able to become a human like Ariun did.

Ariun opened her mouth to speak only to shut it as she turned to look behind them. Law turned and found Callen approaching. The mechanic had gained a small scar from Ariun's dagger which seemed to make him more neutral to the zoan user. In all honesty, Law was wary of the man's new attitude towards Ariun given what he knew of the mechanics past. He shoved down his suspicion as Callen spoke, "Captain."

"What is it Callen-ya?" Ariun had tensed somewhat as the man's dull brown eyes focused on her.

"I was wondering if those of us in the infiltration group will be required to do our regular duties on the new island," Law frowned at the man.

Law looked at Ariun, "Ariun-ya do they need any supplies?"

"At the moment, no," She was looking at Callen with narrowed eyes, "The only ones that could possibly need anything are Shippo and Josh because of how easily they're taking to this,"

"Then Callen-ya, the answer is no," Callen nodded though Law was surprised to see a little anger on the green haired male's face, "You will be doing your regular duties,"

"Aye Captain," Callen walked away.

Ariun growled lightly prompting Law to ask, "Ariun-ya what's wrong?"

"He's planning something," She hissed, "I do not know what, but I do know he's planning something and it isn't good,"

Law could only agree. The green haired mechanic's recent actions were not adding up with what he knew of the man. If anything, it made him seem more suspicious. Frowning deeply, Law turned his attention back to the approaching island, "We will have to watch Callen-ya for now."

Law disliked the fact that he might end up losing one of his crew members because the man was being an idiot. He would freely admit that his crew was filled with idiots, but none of them would willingly plan something against a fellow member of the crew outside of a few pranks. He internally grimaced at what he might have to do.

* * *

"You do realize the gang planks are there for a reason right?" Shachi commented as I landed next to him on the dock.

Offering the ginger haired man a grin, I retorted, "Everything is there for a reason, but it's up to us to define that reason."

Turning away from the slightly confused man, I offered Law a smile, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"We're going to find out when the log-pose sets and then get medical supplies," Law informed me as Bepo walked up.

Bepo seemed slightly uncomfortable, but the heat wasn't too bad. I offered the bear a sympathetic look as we followed Law through town. Bepo gave me a weak smile and I mentally promised myself to get the bear some ice cream to help him cool down.

* * *

We ended up in a bar around lunch before we found out when the log-pose set. I was slightly happy upon hearing that the log-pose took five days to set which would give me plenty of time to find a female companion. Before my thoughts could get out of hand, Law spoke to me, "Ariun-ya we'll spar tomorrow in the nearby forest."

"Sweet," I grinned at the thought, "Are we going to get a hotel for our stay or are we staying on the ship?"

"Hotel," Law replied while offering me a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

Rather than tell him about my plans to find a good female companion, I instead said, "While the sub is nice, I'd rather have solid ground under my feet and the chance to run around," I then tapped my canvas bag, "Plus, I wanna find a good place to draw the island and maybe find some animals to sketch," I offered him a sheepish smile, "That is if you'll let me go off on my own, of course."

He seemed to consider it before nodding, "I don't see a problem even if you didn't ask on the last island," He chuckled as I rolled my eyes, "Once you finish eating, we'll go gather the medical supplies we need."

* * *

Law looked that the hotel before offering Buck a nod, "This will do."

"I'll go grab some rooms," Buck paused before asking, "Does the kitten get her own room again?"

"Yes," Law saw no reason to make her room with anyone else especially since tonight all the men were going to try to get some female companions.

Buck seemed to realize the same thing and grinned slightly, "Alright."

Law watched as the chef walked towards the hotel before looking around for Ariun and Bepo. He had asked the two to find something to do while he talked to Buck. Upon spotting Bepo, he bit back a chuckle. Bepo was eating a large vanilla ice cream cone and talking to the ice cream vendor. The moment his eyes landed on Ariun he found his eyes widening. In her hand, she held what looked to be a cherry popsicle. Law swallowed as he watched her pink tongue dart out to lick the cherry flavored treat and her eyes closed in bliss. He wondered if she would have the same expression on her face if she was licking his-What the hell was he thinking?!

* * *

I hummed softly as I enjoyed the cherry flavored popsicle Bepo had gotten for me and listened to Bepo talk to the vendor. The woman didn't seem too fazed by Bepo talking prompting me to ask, "Mind explaining why you're not too surprised by Bepo talking?"

The bear immediatly seemed depressed and murmured, "Sorry."

"Sweetie!" I wrapped my arms around Bepo after biting into my treat in order to not drop it.

Bepo seemed to perk up and hugged me back while being mindful of both our treats. I released him and took hold of my popsicle again while trying to ignore how cold had made my teeth. The vendor chuckled and shook her head lightly at our antics before answering my question, "I've seen plenty of oddities during my life here in the Grandline. Meeting a Mink this far out of the New World is odd, but not too strange."

"You know Bepo's a mink?" I looked at her in surprise.

"Yup," She grinned, "I think he's pretty cute too!"

Bepo blushed and I giggled as Bepo grabbed my hand, "Let's go find Captain."

I waved the vendor goodbye and let Bepo lead the way. We found Law talking to Buck not too far away and walked over to the two. Buck caught sight of us and grinned, "Hey Darlin', Bepo."

"Hey Buck," We greeted.

I eyed Law as he looked away from me, "You okay Law?"

"I'm fine," He grumbled while not looking at me, "We have room's in the hotel now. Ariun your room is across from Bepo and I's,"

Buck handed me a bronze colored key with 212 printed on the key. I put it in my canvas bag after handing my popsicle to Bepo for safe keeping. Once I put it away, I took my treat back from Bepo and hummed softly as I licked it again. I was surprised to see Buck's cheeks go pink and he gave a quick goodbye before running off. I watched him go as Bepo muttered, "What happened?"

Realizing what had gone through the man's mind, I giggled, "Buck's perverted mind happened."

I went to lick my popsicle again only to find it gone. I looked around before spotting it in Law's hand. He smirked at me and said, "Ariun-ya you really shouldn't eat such things around your crewmates. They might take it the wrong way."

I glowered at him and tried to snatch my ice cream back. He moved away before I could and I growled softly. Without thinking, I began to chase Law around to get my popsicle back. The only thing going through my mind at the moment was getting my popsicle back.

* * *

"I can't believe it melted before I could get it back," I glared at the stick in my hand then at Law.

"Now, now Ariun-ya no need to be childish," Law teased with a smirk.

I glared harder at him before tossing the stick into the closeby trash can, "You owe me a new popsicle."

I heard multiple thumps and turned to see most of the crew passed out with blood coming from their noses. I stared at them before face palming as Law chuckled. God damn perverts.

 **End**


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **Do you guys want me to start replying to reviews on here?**

* * *

Start

* * *

After I had placed my things in my hotel room, I walked downstairs and found a majority of the crew milling about. Glancing around, I noted that Law was nowhere to be seen and the sun was starting to set. I felt a grin etch itself on my face and headed towards the door while ignoring the looks I was being given by everyone. Just as I reached the door, Shachi called out, "Where are you going Ari-chan?"

"To drink," I informed the man.

"Shouldn't you wait until the captain comes down?" Shachi asked making me roll my eyes.

I turned my head towards Shachi as I said, "Seeing as I'm still pissed at Law for taking my treat, I'm going to ignore that and go find a good bar."

Without another word, I opened the door and left. I quickly made my way towards one of the largest bars in this town that I had found out about from speaking to some of the locals. I slipped inside and immediatly felt myself relax upon seeing how crowded it was. Law and the others would have a tough time finding me among so many people which would allow me time to find a good companion for the night. I mentally giggled before heading towards the bar to start off the night just right.

* * *

Law was glaring at anything that was in the path of his vision as they followed Bepo to whatever bar Ariun had decided to go to. Not only had she chased him around earlier, she just had to ignore his order for the crew to wait for him to come down before they went out. He was going to punish her for that, but the question is how. Bepo speaking took him from his increasingly violent thoughts, "Captain she's in there."

He looked at the bar Bepo was pointing to and felt his eye twitch. The idiot had chosen one of the largest and most popular bars on the fucking island! Growling under his breath, he stalked towards the bar with the rest of the crew following nervously.

* * *

When he finally found her, he felt his jaw drop and dimly heard his crew gasp. The reason was that Ariun was currently french kissing a rather beautiful aqua haired woman with a group of other girls giggling around her. When she pulled away, the aqua haired woman had a dazed, yet happy look about her. Ariun spoke in a voice that made his pants become tight, "Well Lee? How was that for a lesson in kissing?"

"G-good," The woman stuttered with wide, lustfilled blue eyes.

Ariun smirked in a way that had the women around her swooning as she purred out, "Something wrong Lee?" She stood up from her chair and slowly prowled towards the now blushing woman, "You're looking a little _red,_ " Ariun took the woman's chin in her hand, "Well Lee?"

"N-nothings W-wrong," The woman squeaked.

Ariun gave a breathless laugh as her eyes became half-lidded, "Oh Lee..." The aqua haired woman visibly shuddered, "I'm quite sure there's something you _need_. Perhaps if you tell me, I'll be able to _give_ it to you."

* * *

I was well aware of Law and the rest watching as I charmed the rather beautiful woman. The scent of her arousal and those of the other women around us just made it all the more amusing. I wasn't usually one for doing this around a large group, but this was too entertaining to miss out on. As I waited for Lee's answer, I wondered what Law would do. Lee swallowed nervously as she reached up and cupped my cheek with a shaking hand, "P-please..."

"Please what?" I purred out as I mentally giggled at how aroused she was before I had even done more than kiss her.

"Please fuck me," I heard a few gasps.

Internally smirking, I leaned down and brushed my lips against her ear causing the woman to shudder as I murmured, "As you wish my dear."

Without much thought towards Law and the others, I grabbed Lee's hand and pulled her from her seat. Once she was on her feet, I led the way out of the bar before allowing her to lead the way towards her hotel. It wouldn't due for any of my crewmates to interrupt my fun.

* * *

"A-a-ari-chan?" Shachi gasped out as they all watched Ariun lead the blushing woman out of the bar.

"Fuck," Was murmured by a majority of the crew.

Law found himself stuck between feeling aroused and angry. He knew he was aroused because watching that had been something else. However, he couldn't place why he was angry. It wasn't because of her choosing this bar or her leaving early; His anger about that had left him once he realized just how good this bar was. He mentally growled and shoved his anger down when he realized that it was towards that other woman. What the hell was wrong with him?

* * *

I smirked down at the sleeping aqua haired beauty and ran my fingers lightly over her smooth stomach. She shuddered under my touch and sleepily murmured, "Ara..."

I sat up and glanced out of the window. Ah three hours since we had entered the room. I stood from the bed and gathered my clothes. I started pulling them on when I felt arms around my waist. I looked at the sleepy Lee and smiled softly as I gently stroked the woman's hair, "Go back to sleep."

She blinked sleepily before letting go of my bare waist and laying back down, "Sleepy."

I waited until she had fully fallen asleep before pulling the rest of my clothes on. I smirked at the dagger currently buried in the headboard of the bed as I stood up. I reached out and tugged it loose. It was quite clear that the dagger was well made and from the slight drain I felt, the dagger must have a minute amount of sea stone inside of it. I twirled it lazily before attaching it to my belt among the other daggers in my possession. I walked over to the window and opened it to allow the scent of sex to leave the room. The cool air of spring on a summer island blew in and I relished in the relief it brought. I pulled myself through the window and onto the slightly fragile awning. I jumped down from the awning and glanced around before taking off in the direction of the bar once again. I was still ready for another round and I could use another few drinks.

* * *

When Law woke up the next morning, it was to a pounding headache. He groaned softly and vowed to kill Shachi later for getting him to drink enough to get a hangover in the morning. He was tempted to lay in bed, but he knew he couldn't. He pulled himself out of bed and went to shower while feeling fairly irritated that he hadn't been able to find anyone worth a quick fuck last night.

* * *

Law was sitting at one of the hotel lounge when he heard giggling coming down the stairs. Glancing at them, he found himself staring. Two girls walked down the stairs with one of Ariun's arms wrapped around their waists. They were blushing and smiling as Ariun led them to the hotel door. She released them and both pressed a kiss to Ariun's cheek. The one on the left had light red hair and amber eyes. The one on the right had bright blonde hair and amber eyes. The one on the left smiled coyly at Ariun,"Ara-chan last night was amazing. I wouldn't mind it if we had another one."

"I agree with my sister," The one on the left nodded with a sigh, "Last night was something amazing,"

Ariun let out a giggle and offered the two a smirk, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Only time will tell."

"So poetic!" They squealed making Law's head ring slightly and he glared at the two.

Ariun's grimace told him that she was not a fan either. She hid it quickly with a sly smirk, "Girls do you not have jobs to go to?"

"Oh right," Both pouted, "Good bye Ara-chan!"

"Bye," She closed the door behind them and shook her head, "Squealing girls are not what I need first thing in the morning," Law snorted causing Ariun to look at him, "Based on the fact you look irritated, I'm guess you have a hangover,"

"You would be correct," He noticed that she was rubbing at her ears, "A problem?"

"My ears are sensitive regardless of my form though my animal form is a lot stronger," Her ears changed into those of her leopard form and her tail appeared though it was without the rings, "I'm slightly regretting my time with them,"

"I thought you were busy with that aqua haired woman," Ariun smirked and laughed.

She reached for her belt and pulled a dagger from it before tossing it towards him. He caught it and looked it over only to drop it the moment he felt the drain that came with touching sea stone. He was slightly puzzled over why it wasn't that strong. Ariun walked over to him and picked the dagger up once more, "She was an assassin or a bounty hunter. I'm leaning towards assassin because of this," She held out the hilt towards him and he stiffened as he noticed the much hated symbol etched into the promel, "It seems someone wants me dead."

"How can you bare to touch it?" He asked while wondering why she would even hold onto this thing, "Did you kill the bitch?"

"The blade holds a minute amount of sea stone and is a great piece of work," She murmured while putting it back on her belt, "I would be a fool to leave it around. Plus, it's good for training my resistance against sea stone," He was slightly irritated at how sound her reasoning was, "As for killing her, no. I did not,"

Anger and irritation swelled inside of him as he hissed, "What?!" He ground his teeth while ignoring the dull ache his hangover brought, "Do you not realize what leaving her alive will do-"

"I'm aware," The smug smirk on her face made him pause.

"You have a plan," He realized after a few minutes.

She nodded and sat down across from him, "Leaving her alive will allow us to find out why she's here."

"What if she's already completed her mission?" He asked only for her to smirk, "What did you do?"

"Being delirious from pleasure is much like being intoxicated," She gave a soft laugh as his eyes widened.

"Did you realize what she was in the beginning?" He demanded while trying to ignore the fact she had slept with not one, but three willing females last night which is more than most of the crew could say.

"No," She admitted while running a hand through her hair, "It was only when I paid more attention to her movements that I realized what she was. A trained killer has a distinct way of moving," She leaned back against the couch, "Once I realized that, I decided to find out what she was doing here," She smirked again, "I'm fairly sure she was going to use my new dagger to kill me since her hands were quite focused on going under her pillow until she was too far gone with pleasure to do anything except moan my name," She was incredibly smug, "It was easy to get the information I wanted while getting some much needed relief,"

"Much needed relief?" He asked feeling a smirk grow on his face while she seemed to freeze, "Ariun-ya?"

She licked her lips and offered him a weak smile, "It's been a year and some months since I had last gotten the chance to fuck anyone."

Law chuckled upon hearing that answer while trying to ignore the small burst of indignation at the fact she hadn't gone to him for said relief, "Why didn't you just come to me?"

"I enjoy our little game a bit too much," She smirked at him though he could see that his question shocked her, "If I had come to your, our game would have ended,"

"So the end game is to get one another into our beds?" He clarified while enjoying the fact that he had been right about this game.

"And shouting/screaming each other's name from pleasure," She added while grinning, "I'm going to enjoy my win oh so much,"

"You still believe you're going to win?" He felt his frustration at not getting any last night flare up once more.

"But of course," She eyed him before giggling, "Seeing as I actually got some last night,"


	46. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"So we're waiting until tomorrow to spar?" I asked Law curiously while feeling slightly annoyed since I had been looking forward to it.

"I wish to be at my best," He explained as we waited for the rest of the crew to come downstairs, "Fighting with a hangover will limit my abilities somewhat,"

I sighed at the answer, but accepted it, "I guess it can't be helped."

Anything else either of us could say was dismissed as the rest of the crew began walking downstairs.

* * *

Law watched Ariun leave the hotel right after she ate making his eyes narrow. What could she possibly be doing? Before he could even begin to think of any possible reasons, Bepo asked, "Captain what are we going to do today?"

He was tempted to follow after Ariun, but decided to leave her alone for now as his hangover reared it's much hated head. Grimacing, he answered, "I'm going to try and sleep this hangover off."

The bear nodded with a slight frown while giving Shachi a small glare. Law felt faintly amused by the action of one of his oldest friends. While the bear was nice to most, Bepo would do anything to see that Law was healthy. It was for that reason and the mink's loyalty that Bepo had been made his first mate. Mentally shaking those thoughts out of his head, he stood up and headed back up to his room for that nap.

* * *

When Law woke up, Bepo was bringing him lunch. The bear smiled upon seeing him awake, "How are you feeling Captain?"

"Better," He rubbed at his eyes as he sat up and took the tray from Bepo, "Has Ariun-ya returned yet?"

"No," Law frowned at the answer, "She did however head to the sub to put things away,"

"Who told you that?" He asked while beginning to eat.

"Buck," Bepo answered with confusion in his eyes though he continued to speak, "Apparently, Ariun wanted to get some drawings of the island,"

Law remembered her mentioning that yesterday, "I see. What did she drop off?"

Bepo shrugged his shoulders, "Buck mentioned something about hygiene I think," Bepo frowned, "He was blushing and mumbling things under his breath, so I don't know what he said exactly."

Law chuckled in amusement at the chef's behavior. Out of the whole crew, Buck was the least perverted, but things like this often caused the man to stutter and become clumsy. It was quite amusing to watch though most of the crew kept quiet when things like that happened. After all, Buck was not someone you wanted to piss off since he could make the most delicious looking food taste bland as hell. The only one who never had to deal with it was him because he was captain and Buck wouldn't fuck with him. Law shook himself from his thoughts and listened to the bear continue to talk.

* * *

I knocked on Law's door and heard him call out, "Come in," I opened the door and walked inside with a slight grin, "Ariun-ya is there a problem?"

"Nope," I closed the door behind me and tossed my notebook towards Law, "Read that,"

He caught it with a slight frown and opened the book. As his eyes ran over the page, I watched them become wide before narrowing. Remembering what was on the pages, I couldn't believe my luck...

 _"...Last night!" I stilled myself and gripped the tree branch above me to keep my balance._

 _Looking down, I spotted the aqua haired assassin from last night walking with a man wearing a high class black suit. He had burnt orange hair and piss yellow eyes. My eyes narrowed at the sight of the jolly roger stitched into the guy's breast pocket before I pulled out my notebook and a pen. I knew that Law would appreciate the information the duo were most likely going to give. I had to cover my mouth as the guy began to talk. How the hell does a man with muscles that big have such a high pitch voice?! I listened as Burnt-orange spoke, "Lee why did you let that bitch get away?"_

 _Lee blushed and looked away, "None of your business Klock!"_

 _The man growled darkly, "The captain's going to be pissed that you failed in your mission! The young master will be too."_

 _"How the hell was I supposed to focus?" Lee growled in return, "You try focusing when someone's pleasuring you like she did me!" She then smirked at him, "Oh wait you can't because your dick got cut off!"_

 _Ooh that explains the voice. I shook my head and forced myself to focus as the guy snorted, "No need to turn childish," Lee huffed, "Seeing as you failed, we will have to think of another way to kill her."_

 _"Why do we even have to?" Lee asked with a small blush, "She could be an asset to us and the young master,"_

 _Klock growled and grabbed Lee around the neck before slamming her into the tree next to me, "Idiot! We do not question the captain's orders. He wants her dead no matter what. The young master does as well."_

 _"W-what?" She gasped out as she struggled against the burnt-orange haired males thick hand._

 _Klock sighed before dropping Lee, "I suppose you would know."_

 _Lee rubbed her throat and glared at Klock, "Tell me then you orange bastard."_

 _"She has already caused many problems for the young master without knowing it," Klock informed her making my eyes widen before narrowing at the accusation, "She's had the chance to join us, but has always tossed those chances away without a thought. With the death of Diablo, the young master is done playing with her. She must die,"_

 _"And the captain?" Lee asked with a frown._

 _"Captain has his own reasons and I was not told why the captain wanted her dead," Klock turned and began walking away, "I will be making a plan to kill her and this time, you will succeed in your job or I'll kill you,"_

 _Klock left without another word and Lee stared after him before cursing softly, "Damn it," She rubbed at her rapidly bruising throat, "I know that I was on thin ice, but damn," She shook her head and winced, "The question is why?" She frowned, "Why would the captain want her dead? Sure she kinda looks like him, but so?" She began walking, "I better go stock up. Klock will most likely be planning something for either tonight or tomorrow."_

I came out of my memories as Law asked, "Is this what was said exactly?"

"Yes," I ran a hand through my hair, "What will we do?"

"It's quite obvious that they wish to kill you," Law frowned at the notebook in his hands, "The why is clear as well, but the question is why was I not mentioned? It seems that they've assumed that you were the one to kill Diablo,"

"Which I did," I leaned back against the door with a sigh, "They probably assumed that Maki, Kuro and I were the only ones involved,"

"Why though?" He looked at me curiously.

* * *

Ariun was silent for a few moments before she began to explain, "As you know, we hated Diablo, yet we never made a move. Doesn't that seem odd?"

Frowning as he realized that she was right, he asked, "Why didn't you strick out against Diablo-ya before?"

"Because we lacked both allies and a proper plan which you provided," He was beginning to understand what she was getting at, "They probably believe that we had finally managed to figure out a way to fight Diablo without getting too injured,"

Hearing that, he nodded in understanding before asking, "What about the rest of the crew and I?"

She smirked at him, "Think about it."

Glaring at her for not answering his question, he began to think over what she said. After a few moments, he had a tentative idea, "They probably believe you somehow manipulated me into allowing you three to become members of my crew or at least intrigued me enough to bring you along."

"That's the thought though it will be a little while before we can find out the real reason," Ariun closed her eyes, "Do you know anything about Klock?"

Law frowned and tried to recall those he had met during his time with the Donquixote pirates, "I vaugly remember a teenage with burnt orange hair following Liken-ya around like a lost puppy, but that's about all."

"Damn," She groaned softly, "What are we going to do?"

"You're going to stay with me at all times," Ariun's eyes snapped open and she stared at him with a wide eyes, "It's the best way to keep you from getting hurt while we find out how to deal with those two," He frowned and looked back at the notebook lying in his lap, "We need to find out if Liken-ya is close by. Facing him now, you would most likely die with little problem,"

Ariun nodded with a grim smirk on her face, "More than likely," She lost her smirk and looked at him, "If he is close by?"

Law considered their options and disliked them immediatly, "We will need to get the crew onto the sub and submerge until either he leaves or our log-pose sets."

"Neither is a good option," Ariun commented with a grimace, "If he isn't close by, we'll be taking both of them out?"

"Yes," He watched her sigh, "A problem with that?"

"No," She offered him a sardonic smile, "I'm just trying to wrap my head around how crappy my life is now that I've gotten some kind of happiness,"

Law was torn between feeling happy over her apparent happiness at being a member of his crew and anger at her having to deal with this after finally getting some happiness in her life. He was taken aback by that thought, but chalked it up to her being a member of his crew. Pushing those thoughts away, he smirked at her, "Don't worry, I won't let a member of my crew die so easily."

She offered him a tired smile and he ignored the pang he felt in his chest.

* * *

As the crew partied in the same bar from last night, I frowned at Law, "Is this wise?"

He chuckled and nodded as he leaned back against the booth, "The best way to find out what's going on is to act normal," My frown deepened even as I rationalized that he was right, "Just relax Ariun-ya," He draped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him, "My plan won't work if you aren't relaxed."

I sighed and forced myself to relax against him though it became easy the moment I realized how warm he was. Unable to stop myself, I smiled as I reached for my glass of rum. Even if we were on a summer island, I enjoyed the heat Law gave off. It was odd, but a comforting odd. I inwardly frowned at the thought. Why would it be comforting? I mean sure when I was held by Maki, Kuro, or even one of my caretakers it comforted me due to the fact that I knew that they wouldn't betray my trust. I knew that I trusted Law, but to find comfort in this action? It honestly shocked me, but...as I watched as the crew enjoyed themselves and glanced up at Law to see him smirking at their actions...I found myself unable to care.

* * *

Law looked down at Ariun to find her looking up at him with a smile. He felt slightly confused at the action even if the smile made him feel warm. When he had announced that they were going to go to the bar once more, Ariun had stared at him before arguing that this was a bad idea. He had spent most of the walk over here ignoring her mutterings about this being a stupid plan. It had surprised him when he felt her actually relax again, but the smile truly confused him. Why the hell was she smiling at him? Offering her a raised eyebrow as he pushed his confusion down, he asked, "Why are you smiling?"

"Just realizing something," She hummed softly and turned to look back at the crew.

Her reply only increased his confusion before he pushed it down as she grabbed her glass of rum and brought it up to her mouth. She didn't take a sip of it though which prompted him to ask, "What is it?"

"Poison," She faked a sip before offering the glass to him.

He faked a smirk towards him as his eyes narrowed slightly and he lifted the glass up to his nose. He sniffed the liquid and pretended to take a sip before returning the glass to her. She set it on the table as he leaned down and spoke in her ear, "It's something to make you sleep. Based on the strength, I would say you have five minutes before you need to act like you're getting sleepy."

"What about you?" She turned her head towards him with a fake giggle.

"A man of my size taking a small sip would have ten to twenty minutes before I started to feel drowsy," He explained with a slight smirk, "In six minutes, I will 'notice' you becoming sleepy and offer to take you back to the hotel," He reached out and took her chin before leaning in as if to kiss her, "You will pretend to yawn and nod. We will leave once that happens. After that," He paused just an inch from her lips, "We will take care of whoever comes after us. Be ready,"

"Of course," She murmured before he placed his lips to hers.

 **End**


	47. Chapter 47

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I let my head fall against Law's shoulder as I fake yawned and blinked 'sleepily' for the third time in the last minute. Law 'noticed' this and said, "Ariun-ya you seem tired. Let me take you back to the hotel."

"Okay," I yawned out and stood up with him.

"Captain?" Bepo looked at us, "Where are you two going?"

I yawned out, "Law's taking me back to the hotel. I'm feeling really sleepy."

"Stay with the others," Law ordered the bear, "I don't want any of them causing too much trouble,"

"Aye Captain," Bepo looked at me, "Sleep well Ari-chan,"

I smiled at him before Law took my hand and led the way outside. I listened carefully as we walked towards the hotel and scented the air. I caught Lee's scent approaching from us from a rooftop and clenched Law's hand. He glanced down at me as I moved closer and I murmured, "Rooftop. It's Lee."

Her scent scent was growing stronger by the second and a quick glance to the side showed me that she was aiming a gun towards me. Mentally grimacing as I watched her take aim, I tried to scent for the other one. I stumbled slightly to dodge the bullet that was shot towards me and realized that Lee's gun didn't make a sound. As we passed by an alley, I caught sight of someone moving towards us. I tapped Law and jerked my head lightly to the alley gaining a small nod as he stopped walking, "Ariun-ya perhaps it would be better if I carried you."

I fake yawned again and nodded jerkily, "I think that would be a good idea."

As Law reached towards me, I watched a ring of spiraling air appear and the faint blue glow of his room. Just as the person in the alley reached the end, Law's room extended and covered the whole area. Law transported me onto the roof behind Lee and I wrapped my arms around her waist as Law cut up Klock before using Shambles on the man. Lee jerked against the hold even as I tail wrapped around her gun and wrenched it away, "Klock!"

"Hello Lee-dear," She stiffened against me, "I think you know what's going to happen,"

* * *

An thirty minutes later, I was leaning against the wall of my hotel room with Lee tied to one of the chairs. I offered her a raised eyebrow as she finally stopped struggling, "Done struggling?"

"I can't get out of these bindings and you're going to kill me so why struggle," Lee sighed out and leaned against her chair, "So why keep Klock and I alive?"

"Not worried about your partner?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's a bastard and was probably going to kill me when he had the chance," She shrugged her shoulders as best she could, "So why?"

"Information," I took the dagger she was going to kill me with the first time from my belt and held it up, "Recognize this?"

"My dagger!" Her eyes widen, "Where did you get it?"

"Stole it when I left you," I tossed it up in the air before catching it as it fell down, "Which crew do you belong to?"

"The Snowstorm pirates," She answered while watching her dagger move through the air, "My captain is Snow Liken and he's one of the captains to work under Doflamingo,"

"Are they near?" I asked her while wondering why she was giving so much information away without a struggle.

"No Captain had us dropped off on the way to Reverse Mountain," I felt slightly relieved that I wouldn't be facing _him_ anytime soon.

"Why is he going to Reverse Mountain?" Could Joker be putting another bastard in Diablo's place?

"I was not informed," I would have been suspicious if not for what I had heard her saying earlier.

I tried to think of any other questions, but found myself coming up empty. I let my head fall against the wall and let the dagger impact the floor. Okay Ariun there has to be another question. It doesn't even have to pertain to the situation. What would Law want to know? Joker? Yeah probably. Let's see what she has to say about Joker, "How much do you know of Doflamingo?"

* * *

Law washed away the blood on his hands before walking out of his secondary lab after disposing of the corpse of his latest victim. He headed up to the deck and found Ariun sitting on the railing with a blood coated dagger in hand. She glanced at him and he asked, "What did you get from her?"

"The Snowstorm pirates are heading towards Reverse Mountain," She answered with a slight sigh, "She didn't know more than that and I figured you would get more information from that orange haired guy," She turned towards the ocean, "I asked about what she knew of Joker and managed to learn that he has a lot of diffrent people under him, but no actual names,"

"So she was a bust?" He sighed deeply, "The man had more information, but it was more of why they wished to kill you and why Liken is on this side of the Grandline,"

Ariun turned towards him with a slight smile, "At least we don't have to worry about _him_ right?"

"No," He found himself smiling albeit a small smile, "How do you feel?"

"Knowing that her information was correct, I feel relieved," She frowned despite her words.

"Something wrong?" He looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I can't help, but want to go after _him_ ," She sighed and closed her eyes, "It's foolish when I know that I would be killed no matter how hard I tried because compared to _him_ I am weak," She ran a hand through her hair, "Does that make me an idiot?"

"No," He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "If anything, it makes you smart," She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously, "You know that you're still too weak to face him," She nodded slightly, "So, you know that you need to train hard and get stronger. By doing so, you will not only one day defeat him, but also be able to protect your Nakama if they need it," She smile softly, "So don't think you're an idiot, okay?"

She nodded with a soft laugh, "You're right."

"I know," He smirked at her.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast revealed a clear sky and perfect conditions to spar. I followed Law into the forest and we found a rather large clearing. It was bare of anything other than grass, a few rocks, and a few patches of flowers. I placed my canvas bag against a tree and Law placed Kikoku against the tree as well. I took off my jacket and stretched a bit, "So how are we going to do this?"

"We'll start out with hand to hand before anything else," He informed me, "We can change our pace at any time though I want the first few minutes of our spar pure hand to hand,"

"Alright," I did my warm up stretches before grinning at him, "Ready when you are,"

We stood in the middle of the clearing and I fell into a loose stance. My right leg went behind me while my left leg went forward like I was kneeling. My body was slightly crouched and my left hand angled towards the ground. My right arm was stretched out slightly with my hand held palm down and my fingers slightly clenched. Law stood across from me in a loose stance that told me he didn't use hand-to-hand very often even if he was skilled. My eyes narrowed and Law smirked, "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to fight?"

My lips pulled back slightly over my teeth before I darted forward. Law blocked my first punch and my second only to jump back as I lashed out a kick towards his right side. He smirked at me as he shook out his right hand which had caught my first punch. I returned that smirk and asked, "Hurt?"

"You have a lot more power than most would think a person with your body type would have," He commented as he darted forward and aimed a punch towards my face.

I deflected his punch and kicked out at his side only for him to block my kick. In the next few moments, we exchanged a flurry of kicks and punches which only got my blood boiling. Law was clearly a skilled opponent and that made me all the more eager to see just what I could do against him. After a few minutes, I used my tail to catch one of his fist before drawing a dagger and thrusting it towards his neck. He caught my hand before the blade could meet his neck and I commented, "I wanted to spice things up a bit."

He chuckled even as I used my tail to tug him forward only to find him tossing me away from him, "If this is spicing things up in a spar, I can't wait to see what you're like in the bedroom."

I twisted my body and slid across the ground for a few moments while tossing my dagger towards him. He blocked it with Kikoku's scabbard before withdrawing the demon blade as I replied, "I've been told I'm a real wild cat in bed."

He snorted at my joke as I tossed a few more daggers at him and rushed towards him behind them, "Jokes like that ruin the mood."

"You're trying to set a mood?" I asked with a mocking smile as he blocked the daggers and slashed at me with Kikoku, "I hadn't noticed," I twisted out of the way of the blade and sent a punch towards him, "You must be bad in bed if that's your best attempt to set a mood,"

My fist met the flat part of the blade and Law's foot met my stomach. I was sent flying as he smirked at me, "Ariun-ya are you really questioning my prowess in bed? I thought you wanted to be in my bed."

I twisted my body around and dug my claws into the ground to slow myself down. Once I had stopped, I was quick to raise one of my daggers to block Law's downward strick with Kikoku, "Law I want you in _my_ bed and to hear you shout my name not the other way around," I was quick to jump back as it became quite clear that Law brute strength was stronger than mine in my current form, "Plus, it's not that uncommon for guys as hot as you to leave all the work to us girls which leads to you becoming unpracticed when it comes pleasuring a woman," I smirked at him as I sent another dagger towards him and darted to the side, "So I'm not holding my breath."

Law was quick to deflect the dagger and block my kick towards his left side. I inwardly cursed as I jumped up to avoid the slash aimed towards my side and kicked out at Law. So he could wield Kikoku with one hand. Law blocked my booted kick and sent me flying. I twisted around mid air as he called out, "Room," The blue sphere appeared, "You don't have to worry. I'm quite capable of providing pleasure to my companions," He smirked as I created a small stream of dirt clouds once my feet started meeting the ground, "Ready to kick things up a notch?"

"I was waiting for you to say that," Fur sprang up once I slid to a stop and my body stayed hunched over.

* * *

Law watched her transformation with interest as she didn't fully transform into a leopard. When she stood up, he found himself asking, "Zoan's have a form that grants them the ability of their animal forms while allowing them to function as a human?"

"Yup," Her voice gained a slight roughness to it, "I prefer not being in this form, but figured I'd need the advantage of being able to stand on two legs and wield weapons,"

Nodding, he held Kikoku in both hands, "Shall we?"

Her answer was to crouch slightly before springing forward. He cursed under his breath at the speed she had and quickly transported himself to the other side of the clearing. He watched as dirt flew up as her fist impacted the ground and realized that he really didn't want to be hit by one of those punches. Ariun turned towards him with faintly glowing yellow eyes and smirked as her tail swished behind her, "Surprised?"

He forced himself to relax and smirked at her, "Not at all."

He was forced to dodge another lunge and realized that her speed had doubled. Glancing at her legs, he realized that they had more muscle on them. It made sense due to the fact leopards had more muscles in their back legs than the front. It was due to the back legs being the driving force of their speed and jumping ability. He played this game of keep away for a few minutes as he noticed small dents forming in the ground from how much force she was using. She paused for a few moments and reached behind her to remove her staff before smirking at him, "Running away is not something I find attractive in a man."

He snorted at what was clearly a ploy to make him stay still without actually saying the words, "Yet you find me attractive regardless."

"True," She twirled her staff around before smirking at him, "Seeing as that won't work, we'll just have to see how well you do against me if you can't see,"

She vanished before his eyes and he cursed before moving to the other side of the clearing. Just in time too, the tree behind where he had been standing suddenly had a hole going through it. Ariun pulled her staff free and he teleported again. Damn she had the advantage of being unseen. Frowning, he continued to move about the clearing while trying to figure out a way to beat her. With a frown, he cut a few trees and had them circle around him as he commented, "I thought you didn't think you'd win."

"You'll find someway to beat me," She commented and he felt something slice into his cheek, "But the question is," His eyes widened as he felt something wet drag across the scratch and felt soft fur against his ear, "How,"

He teleported on top of one of the trees as his hand went to his cheek. He looked around before noticing something in the corner of his eyes. He jumped to another floating tree and spotted what he hadn't before. Ariun's shadow! Testing his theory, he used his room to change the shadows place with a rock. When the rock appeared and the shadow disappeared, he smirked and commented, "Your shadow isn't invisible."

He heard a laugh behind him and teleported to another tree, "Correct Law, but how will that help you?"

Smirking as a plan came to mind, he teleported into one of the undamaged trees at the edge of his room.

* * *

I frowned as Law disappeared and tried to find him. Damn where did he go? I sniffed the air and caught the scent of his blood coming from one of the trees only for it to disappear. It reappeared and disappeared a few times making me growl under my breath. I lept down towards the ground and listened carefully. I withdrew a dagger from my belt and frowned as I realized that this was the last one I had on me before tossing it where I thought I smelt Law's blood. I heard a thunk and sighed as I tried to figure out where he went. My ears twitched as I heard Law call out, "Ariun this spar has been fun, but it's time to end it."

What the hell did that mea-My thought was cut off as the floating trees started heading towards me and I quickly jumped away. They crashed into the ground where I had been standing and I sighed softly as I realized just how close that had been. I gasped as I found myself not standing a few feet away from the trees, but against a tree. My staff was taken from me and I found myself being pressed against the tree. Law smirked as his fingers curled around my neck, "Looks like I win."

My eyes narrowed and I began lifting one of my legs only to realize how hard it was. I took a few moments as my foot met the ground once more and realized how tired I was. Sighing softly, I allowed my ability to fade and offered Law a smile, "You win this round."

 **End**


	48. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **Answer to reviewer:**

 **Jag: she did kill Lee. It's why the dagger was bloody.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law returned the clearing to normal after gathering all of Ariun's daggers. He walked over to where she was sitting against a tree and held out the daggers. She took them with a light smile and attached them to her belt, "Thanks."

"No problem," He took a seat across from her, "You did fairly well and if it hadn't been for the shadows, you probably would have won,"

Ariun shrugged with a small smile, "Nah you would have found someway beat me even if it weren't for the shadows."

Silence fell around them as Ariun reached into her canvas bag and pulled out two water canisters. She handed him one before opening the other and taking a long drink from it. He opened his canister and took a drink while observing Ariun. She had returned to her normal form a few moments after the spar ended which allowed him to see the beads of sweat running down her form. Now that they were sitting and not fighting, he noticed something that shocked him. A tattoo ran up and down her left arm. It started just above her wrist and ended just below her shoulder. It looked like a mixture of black waves, dots, and jagged lines. Ariun seemed to notice his stare and smirked prompting him to ask, "What does that tattoo mean?"

She lifted the arm up and twisting it slightly to show that the tattoo went all around her arm, "It means connection, freedom, and fighting," she let her arm drop, "The waves represent my connection to my caretakers and friends. The dots represent my freedom from my past. The jagged lines represent my will to fight against that which is determined to take away those things," She rubbed the arm lightly, "I got it a few years back to cover the scars on my arm."

"Scars?" He frowned slightly.

"My left arm was injured the night my mom died," She answered while staring down at the tattoo on her arm, "The doctors said that it was miracle that I was able to still use it after how bad the injury was," She sighed softly and looked up at him, "If my caretakers hadn't found me as soon as they had, I would have either lost my arm or bled out,"

* * *

Law was silent as for a while which allowed me the time to push my memories back and focus on relaxing so that I would hurt as bad later. Law finally spoke after a while, "Ariun-ya who are your caretakers?"

I froze at the question before sighing. Perhaps now would be the best time for him to find out. Nodding to myself, I offered him a smile, "Believe it or not, my caretakers are pretty famous," He offered me a raised eyebrow, "Shanks and his crew were the ones that saved me all those years ago."

"Redhair?!" Law's eyes were wide and I couldn't stop myself from giggling, "W-why the hell would he do that?"

I shrugged my shoulders with a small laugh, "I still don't really know. Shanks is the kind of guy that would do stuff like that," I laid my head back against the tree I was sitting against and sighed softly as my eyes closed, "Even after all this time, I wonder why he chose to save a kid like me, but in the end, I'm glad for it."

Law was silent which meant he was digesting the information. I was kinda glad for that because it allowed me to think of the man and I silently wondered just what he was doing now. Probably still drinking like crazy and enjoying what life offered. My lips twitched slightly and I smiled softly. I wonder what you would think of me now Shanks? Have you seen my bounty poster? Are you proud of me?

* * *

Law couldn't believe that Ariun knew Redhair Shanks; a fucking Yonko! Yet, he could tell she wasn't lying which meant it was true. Glancing at Ariun from below the rim of his hat, he noticed her smiling softly. She must be remembering something good about her past. Perhaps is she really did know Shanks, he could use that connection to strike a blow against the pink bastard. He would definitely try, but for now he would just file that information away since it would be awhile before he could actually use it.

* * *

Law and I went back to the hotel just in time to watch Callen get sent flying into a wall. I looked at Law before looking towards the one that had done that and felt my jaw drop. Maki was giving the green haired male one of his 'I'm-going-to-kill-you-slowly-and-feed-you-to-the-seakings' glares. It made me shiver and wonder what the hell Callen had done to piss Maki off that badly. The fact that Kuro was actively holding back the normally calm man just proved how pissed off Maki was. I was about to question the situation when Law called out, "What is going on here?"

"Captain!" Shachi called from his place near Kuro and Maki, "You're back,"

"Captain," Bepo walked up to us as a group of crew members walked over to Callen with frowns on their faces, "Callen was bad mouthing Ariun. He was saying things like how Ari-chan shouldn't be one of us and that we should have just left her where she was," Bepo offered me a sorrowful look, "He was saying that the only reason Ari-chan was on the crew was because you were using her as a-"

Maki let out a loud growl cutting Bepo off and making everyone fall silent, "Fucking bastard don't talk abou-"

"Maki," I cut the silver haired man off using a cool tone that I normally didn't take, "Stop,"

"But Stor-" Maki protested as he turned towards me only for me to hold up a hand.

Ignoring the stares that were focused on me, I concentrated on Maki while pushing down my anger towards Callen. It wouldn't due for both of us to be angry after all even if I wanted to beat the shit out of the green haired bastard. I moved towards Maki and placed my hand on his shoulder as Kuro released him, "Calm down. Being hostile will get you nowhere in a situation like this."

"What the hell do you expect me to do?!" Maki shouted at me, "He was-"

"I don't care what he was saying or doing," I cut him off, "I've seen and heard worse ever since I ate my devil fruit. You know that Maki," He frowned and looked ready to argue, "Even with you guys protecting me, I heard the whispers and saw the glares. I've learned to ignore them,"

"It doesn't make it right," He growled out, "He's one of our Nakama. He shouldn't say shit like that,"

I could feel his anger draining and felt slightly relieved even as I murmured, "Maki I know, but that doesn't make hitting one of our Nakama right. Anger will do nothing, but show that he's winning," Maki sighed and slumped slightly which showed me that I was getting through to him, "So calm down, okay. We will allow our captain to deal with this."

"Okay," He ground out.

I turned to Law and saw him looking at me in surprise. I smiled tiredly at him, "I'm going up to my room."

Without another word, I turned towards the stairs and began walking.

* * *

As Ariun disappeared up the stairs, Law turned his attention to the groaning form of Callen and the still angry form of Maki. He had known that something like this would end up happening at some point, but he had hoped it wouldn't occur for a while yet. Frowning, he tried to figure out a way to deal with this situation. He would have to seperate the two, get their statements, and the statements of the crewmates around him before he made any decisions. The question was: What exactly was he going to do in the end?

* * *

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I opened the window while grimacing slightly at the lingering scent of blood. While I didn't mind the scent of fresh blood too much, I disliked the scent blood took on after an hour. It just turned my stomach. I pushed that thought out of my mind as I walked over to my bed and continued to dry my hair. After I finished drying my hair, I tossed the towel towards the laundry basket in the room and laid down. My mind went to what had happened downstairs and I sighed softly. I had known it would only be a matter of time before someone had such thoughts, but this quickly? No. I frowned softly as I stared up at the wooden ceiling. I heard a knock on my door and called out, "Come in."

The door opened and closed as I heard footsteps walk in. Law's scent flowed through the air making me wonder what he wanted. I was slightly surprised when he sat down next to me. He stayed silent for a little while before asking, "Why did you act so calm?"

"What use is more anger in that type of situation?" I asked turned my head towards him, "Maki was already pissed and I know Kuro was close to losing it, so why add me to the mix? I would have just made the situation worse,"

* * *

"So you decided to be the bigger person?" He asked her only to earn a hollow laugh.

He looked down at her and saw her eyes dull causing him to frown. She smiled a bitter smile, "Like always, I have to ignore every comment made about me to avoid making the situation worse. I have to be the one that calms down Kuro and Maki over every stupid little comment about me. I can't lash out because that would just make everything worse."

"Ariun-ya..." He trailed off as she shook her head.

"I thought everything would better," Her voice turned soft and she returned her gaze towards the ceiling, "I thought I wouldn't have to hear that kind of stuff from anyone save for strangers that knew nothing, but I was wrong," Law's fingers clenched as he grit his teeth, "I should have known the other shoe would drop and I would be hated by someone that was supposed to be family once again,"

"Ariun-ya," He cut off whatever else she was going to say, "Callen-ya is just one man. No one else on the crew thinks that way,"

"How would you know?" She looked at him with those dull eyes that he was beginning to hate.

"I know because they were glaring at Callen-ya as I was walking upstairs," He informed her, "No doubt they're reading him the riot act for those comments,"

"But why?" He found himself smiling.

* * *

I stared up at Law as I pulled myself away from the memories of hate filled whispers and spiteful glares. He was smiling making me wonder if it was a trick, but I shoved that away. Law wouldn't trick me like that. Law's reply made me smile, "Because you are a member of this crew and they care about you," I felt warm as I sat up, "If you don't believe me, let's go and see."

* * *

Hearing the guys rip into Callen verbally, I found myself smiling and relaxing. It would seem that even if I didn't spend time with everyone, they all did in fact care about me. I felt Law settle his head on mine as his arms curled around my waist causing me to blush slightly even if I didn't really know why. I pushed the blush down and murmured, "You're right."

"I know," He replied making me roll my eyes.

 **End**


	49. Chapter 49

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I ran through the forest and felt a sense of ease fall over me as I darted amongst the tropical trees. We'd be leaving tomorrow morning and I had decided to take the chance play around in my leopard form. As I ran, I found myself thinking over the whole thing with Callen. Law had decided that Callen would no longer be one of those training under me. I don't know exactly what Callen's punishment was, but I didn't know if I wanted to from the shivers and pitying looks the green haired male was given. Maki had been given a punishment as well, but not as bad as Callen's apparently was. He would be on watch duty for the next four nights after we left the island. Shaking those thoughts from my head, I found myself running towards the clearing where Law and I had spared not even a day ago. Mentally shrugging, I raced forward only to stop at the edge of the clearing upon seeing Law. He was standing in the middle of the clearing and seemed to be concentrating on something. My tail twitched as I wondered about what he was doing before a childish part of me rose up. He had been doing a lot of work lately and had been really stressed, so he needed some time to relax. The best way to do that is playing, right?

* * *

Law closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of his devil fruit. It had been a while since he'd actually taken the time to do something like this, so it was harder to find since he wasn't actively using his abilities. He could feel himself relaxing as he focused on the electrical feeling of his power flowing through his body. It pulsed with his heart and moved with his blood. It was focused on his head and his hands. It was-He suddenly found himself on the ground with the air knocked from his lungs and something heavy on his chest. He opened his eyes and found a familiar pair of heterochromic eyes peering down at his own from a decidedly leopard-like face, "Ariun-ya?"

"Yup," She smirked down at him, "Whatcha doin?"

"Why the hell did you jump on me?" He ignored her question as he tried to breath normally.

"You need to rela and the best way to do so is to play," She answered with a leopard-like grin.

He couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth and asked incredulously, "So you decided to jump on me?"

She nodded, "It seemed like the best way to get your attention since you seemed really deep in thought."

Law felt his eyebrow twitch and wondered where the hell this had come from, "Ariun-ya are you sick?"

"No. I feel perfectly fine," She looked at him in confusion, "Why?"

"You're not acting like you normally do," He deadpanned while wondering if she was actually sick or had hit her head on something, "Did you hit your head?"

"No I didn't hit my head," She rolled her eyes, "I felt like playing around today and this is a normal thing for me to do,"

"Jumping on unsuspecting people is playing?" He needed to wake up since this had to be a dream of some kind.

* * *

I snorted as my tail swished lightly behind me, "No. I jump on unsuspecting friends. Strangers aren't fun to jump on."

I felt immensely amused at the look on Law's face and had to admit he was really fucking cute. Some part of me wanted to see that dumfounded expression on his normally smirking or calm face more often, but I pushed that part away. I lowered my head on top his chest after making myself comfortable and Law growled, "Get off."

Sighing, I took my time in getting up before slowly stepping off him. He sat up and glared at me. I sat down across from him and returned to my human form with a smirk, "Something wrong?"

Oh pissing him off is fun too. It made his grey eyes darken in a way that made me shiver and not in the 'I'm-scared-of-this-guy' way. Law growled out, "Yes something's wrong. Why the hell would you think jumping on people is fun?"

"Because their reactions are amusing," I kept my smirk even as part of me knew it would be best to run or something, "You're really cute when you're surprised,"

The first part of my answer was met with anger, but the second was met with shock then anger. Guys didn't like being thought of as cute, but the reactions they gave when called cute was funny. Law glowered at me as he stood and towered over me. I stared up at him with my smirk even as I realized that I probably shouldn't have done that. Law opened his mouth to say something when Bepo ran into the clearing. I looked at the bear as he shouted, "Marines! They're here!"

I was on my feet in seconds and started running back towards town.

* * *

Law forced down his anger and resolved to deal with Ariun later once he had made sure his crew was alright. They reached the town quickly and to his relief the sub was nowhere in sight. Ariun seemed surprised and rounded on Bepo asking, "Where's the sub?"

"Shippo and a few of the other's submerged when we heard that some marine's were heading this way," Bepo explained, "It's why a few people are on the sub during the day even if we aren't leaving,"

"Oh," Ariun's ears flicked lightly and she grimaced before asking, "Where are the others?"

"Center of the town," Bepo answered with a slight frown, "Why?"

Ariun didn't answer as she took off in the direction Bepo gave. Law and Bepo looked between each other before following after Ariun.

* * *

As I ran towards the town center with Law and Bepo, I couldn't stop myself from grimacing. If there was one thing I disliked about ships, it was the cannons. The smell of gunpowder and the sound they made was far more intense than guns. It's one of the reasons I liked the sub. Sure we had torpedos, but they hadn't been used in the entire time I'd been on the sub. As we got closer, I could hear the sound of cannons and prayed that I wouldn't be too disoriented by the sound. I heard Law mutter, "What the hell was that?"

"A cannon," I replied as I slowed slightly to be able to speak with Law, "Marine's bring them on land sometimes when they think the threat against them is bad enough," I scented the air and picked up the coppery smell of blood, "Looks like someone's already injured,"

* * *

I slammed the butt of my bladed staff against the throat of a marine as I kicked another one away. I jump back to avoid a sword slash and stabbed the marine in reply. The marine cried out at the blade of my staff dug into his stomach only to cry out louder as I twisted the blades and tore them out. I checked around me and grimaced at how many marines were around me. I caught sight of Law's room and the white boiler suits of the other's before more marine's blocked my view. Damn it looks like I'm surrounded. One of the marine's seemed to realize this and shouted, "Just give up! We won't hurt you!"

"Yeah fucking right," I rolled my eyes at their cockiness, "Go fuck yourselves,"

I heard the boom of a cannon and people shouting as the marine's rushed at me. I mentally grit my teeth as I danced around their attempts to capture and/or kill me. The fight had been going on for over thirty minutes and showed no end making wonder why there were so many of these fuckers. I knew there wasn't a marine base of the island and there wasn't one that was very close, so why so many?

* * *

Law played with the marines and just added more to his growing collection of bodies as his crew tossed them into the circle. He was enjoying himself, but something felt wrong about this situation. It was like there were more marines then there should have been. Bepo had said that there was only one ship, so this many shouldn't be possible. It was as this thought went through his head that he heard one of the marine's shout, "Captain Hikaru! Help us!"

"Please Captain!" Another shouted.

Law dropped his abilities in that moment and the marines in his room began bleeding out. He looked around carefully just as a cry of pain was heard. He turned around as someone, Shachi, shouted, "Ari-chan!"

Law felt himself grow cold as someone said, "So this is the 'Spotted Death' Snow D. Ariun...How dull."

Law created another room and transported himself over to where he heard the voice coming from. When he got there, he felt something within him twist. Ariun lay on the ground with blood leaking from her ears and mouth. Law spoke softly, "Ariun-ya..."

"So you're the 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law," The same voice from before called out, "Hopefully you'll prove more of a challenge then your subordinate,"

Law turned towards the source of that voice as cold rage ran through him. The one to speak was a tall peach haired woman. Law would admit she was somewhat beautiful, but her eyes took away from that. They were a dull, almost blank black. He gripped Kikoku as he spoke coldly, "Who are you?"

"I am Captain Hikaru of the marines," She answered in a dull almost bored way that rubbed Law in all the wrong ways, "Your subordinate wasn't very strong," Law was about to speak when the woman's eyes narrowed, "Girl you should stay down,"

Law turned and found Ariun struggling to her feet, "Room," He teleported her over to him, "Ariun-ya."

"Law she ate the sound sound fruit," Ariun murmured while collapsing against him, From what I can tell, she can send sound waves through touch,"

"At least you're smart," Hikaru snorted coldly, "But still weak,"

Ariun stiffened and tried to move away from him, but he wrapped an arm around her to stop that. He glared coldly at the marine captain before turning his head, "Bepo."

"Captain," The bear raced up to him.

"Take Ariun-ya," Bepo reached out and scooped Ariun up, "Keep her safe,"

"Aye Captain," He looked at Ariun as her eyes seem to glaze over.

"Ariun-ya rest easy. I'll take over," He turned towards the marine captain, "You have a lot of nerve doing that to one of my crew," He smirked coldly as he raised a hand, "Room," His room spread out around them, "I dislike it when my crew gets harmed," He watched as the woman's eyes widen and felt slightly satisfied at the fear in those full eyes, "Welcome to my operating room," He withdrew Kikoku and slashed at the woman multiple times, "I'm going to kill you," He sheathed Kikoku and raised his hands, "Shambles,"

* * *

The world was spinning and all I heard was a ringing in my ears after Law was finished speaking to me. My chest hurt and I was having trouble breathing. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't understand just what was wrong. I tried to focus on Bepo's blurry face above me, but that made my head hurt worse. The edges of my vision turned black and I knew that I would be dead to the world in a few moments. I opened my mouth and croaked out, "B-bepo...I...Chest...Hurts..."

Darkness invaded my eyes leaving me with the slightly clear image of Bepo's alarmed face and feeling him shake before I was swallowed up by the darkness.

 **End**


	50. Chapter 50

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **Okay I want to say something, so please read this before or after you read the chapter:**

 **I will only say this once. I don't care about flames and such. They will be ignored. This story is just for fun as all fanfics are. I do not have a beta and most of this story is being imagined as I write it. Do I know where I want it to go? Hell yes. Do I know how I'm going to get there? Not at all. I will read each review and I do enjoy the tips that certain people leave, but I'm not going to change how I write for this story.**

 **Thank you all for reading and if you can, please review.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Captain," Bepo called out from the door to the infirmary, "How is she doing?"

Law looked up from the sleeping form of Ariun, "She's sleeping," Law sighed as he noticed the bear eyeing the bandages on Ariun's chest, "She'll be fine Bepo."

"But there was so much internal damage," Bepo looked at him with distress clear on his face, "What if-"

"Bepo," He cut the mink off, "Ariun-ya will be fine. I've made sure of that,"

Bepo blushed as if suddenly realizing who he was speaking to, "Sorry."

Law waved the apology away, "Just don't do it again," He eyed the bear and noticed the tray in his hands, "Buck sent you up?"

"Yes you missed dinner," Bepo walked inside and set the tray on his desk, "When will she wake up?"

"While I would prefer it if she slept for another day, she could wake up at anytime," He answered while moving over to his desk, "Inform the crew of this information and that they are not to bother her at all should she awaken," He looked at the bear sternly, "She will most likely be awake for a few moments no more, no less. Understand?"

"Aye Captain," Bepo nodded his head.

Law had the bear tell him of what was going on with the crew as he ate his dinner.

* * *

The first thing I noticed when I was regaining consciousness was a bone deep pain that radiated from my chest where I remember Hikaru hitting me. The pain wasn't as bad as when I was lying in Bepo's arms which meant someone had done something to help me. The second thing was the scent around me. It wasn't the scent of a tropical island mixed with blood and gunpowder, but something much more familiar. It was the scent of antiseptic and cleanliness. Underneath that scent, I could smell Law and Maki which told me that I was in the infirmary on the sub. I felt relieved and knew that everyone was safe. With that thought in mind, I strained to hear what was going on around me. I heard the faint sound of pages turning and the hum of the engines meaning we must have left the island. Just as I was about to try and open my eyes, my consciousness slipped away and I was once again dead to the world.

* * *

When I regained consciousness again, I immediatly tried to open my eyes. I let out a hiss and snapped my eyes shut as the light was too bright. Fuck! Wait what was that sound? I listened carefully and heard a familiar chuckle then, "Ariun-ya you can open your eyes now."

Carefully, I slowly opened my eyes and sighed in relief at not being blinded. I reached up a hand to rub at my eyes as I asked, "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Law countered as I heard footsteps coming closer.

"Bepo holding me and my chest hurting a lot," Law's face came into view, "My ears were ringing, but they aren't now," I looked up at him curiously as whatever I was lying on was raised until I was sitting up slightly, "What happened after I lost consciousness?"

"I killed Hikaru-ya," He answered making me sigh softly only to stop as my chest ached a bit, "How do you feel now?"

"My chest still hurts, but not as much," I looked down and saw the layers of bandages, "How bad was the damage?"

I looked at Law as he sighed, "The attack managed to rupture quite a few blood vessels and almost collapsed your lungs. You heart didn't suffer much damage, but the damage was enough that I don't want you overexerting yourself. In fact, I don't want you doing anything that can cause you stress for the next two weeks."

"We're pirates. Stress is a part of the job description," I retort while feeling slightly relieved that the damage wasn't crippling or fatal.

Law chuckled with a slight smile, "At least the injuries haven't made you lose your wit."

"I wouldn't be me if they did," I replied with a slight smile, "How exactly is this supposed to work?"

"You'll be staying in here for the next two days for observation purposes," He paused before smirking at me, "Then you're going to be sleeping in my room until you're fully healed,"

Well that seems reasonabl-Wait what?! My brain froze then back tracked over what he said causing me to squeak, "W-What?!"

"I dislike repeating myself," He chuckled as he said that.

I tried to find something to say as my cheeks heated only to find all of my options save for one gone. Without much fanfare, I fell into the blackness that had been sitting on the edges of my vision.

* * *

After Ariun had fainted, Law checked her over with a slight chuckle. While he was somewhat surprised by how she acted, he knew it was probably because she had just awoken and the painkillers he had put in her I.V. which she wouldn't need now that she was awake. He carefully removed the I.V. and took care of it before he finished checking her over. Once that was done, he headed over to the door and found Yamire walking towards the infirmary, "Yamire-ya," The black skull cap wearing man nodded to him, "Ariun-ya woke up a few minutes ago. I've removed her I.V. and checked her over. I want you to watch over her and inform me if she wakes up before I return to check on her later."

"Aye Captain," The quiet man agreed while moving towards the doors.

With that done, Law grabbed Kikoku from his desk and walked out of the infirmary.

* * *

An hour after Law had let the infirmary, he was informed by Yamire that she had woken up for a few minutes before falling unconscious again though this time she hadn't fainted. Law ignored the grins on the navigating teams faces as he asked Bepo, "How long until we reach the next island?"

"We should reach it in three weeks," Bepo answered with a bright smile, "Captain how long until Ari-chan will be fully healed?"

"If she follows my orders, two weeks," He saw no point in not telling the bear, "She'll be staying in my room for the duration of that time,"

Ignoring the shocked gasps and surprised looks he was being given, he looked over the map in front of him while mentally chuckling. He knew exactly what was going through his crew's minds and knew that the news would spread to the rest of the crew by tomorrow at most. While he could let Ariun stay in her own room, he wanted her to stay in his both because it would let him know of any problem immediatly and because it would be the least stress filled area on the ship. It would also give him more time alone with Ariun which should help him win this game of theirs. He smirked at that thought. Oh yes, He was going to win this game of theirs.

* * *

I yawned softly as Law checked the stitched up area on my chest. He glanced up at me with a smirk causing my cheeks to heat up slightly. I looked away from him gaining a small chuckle from him. What the hell was wrong with me? I shouldn't be blushing. It didn't make any sense. Law finally spoke as he began wrapping my chest in bandages again, "From what I've seen, you're doing well."

"Does that mean I can stay in my room while I'm healing?" I asked while both hoping that I would and hoping I wouldn't.

Law's smirk grew as he said, "No."

Part of me want to cheer loudly while another part of me wanted to argue. I settled on sighing, "Why do I have to stay in your room?"

"It will allow me to know if you're having any problems and it's the least stress filled/chaotic place on the sub," His smirk widened, "Ariun-ya are you worried about something happening while we're in my room?"

Oh that fucking bastard! He's going to use this chance to win our game. Instead of glaring at him, I smirked at him in return, "Not at all. It's not like you're going to make me sleep in your bed."

"Actually," He chuckled in reply, "You're going to be sleeping in my bed with me,"

I tried to think of a retort, but nothing came to mind other than, "Oh...Okay."

I mentally slapped myself as Law chuckled and finished bandaging my chest. He began putting away the supplies he used as he commented, "Glad to hear that you approve."

Okay get a hold of yourself Ariun! Think of something to say. Anything will work, "So long as you're a gentlemen, I'm fine with it."

Law snorting made me immediatly regret my words, "Ariun-ya," He smirked at me and eyed me in a way that sent heat flooding through my veins, "I'm a pirate. We pirates aren't gentlemen."

* * *

By the time he had left the infirmary, Ariun had blushed several times and fallen asleep. He decided that it was a good day as Maki took over watching Ariun for the night. Not only had Ariun woken up after six days of sleep, she was acting like her usual self for the most part. It was like a part of himself had finally relaxed and he felt lighter than he had since Ariun had been hurt. The thought made him pause as he pushed his door open. He felt lighter now that Ariun was no longer sleeping, but why? Before he could think of the answer, he heard, "Captain?"

"Bepo," He greeted the bear while pushing those thoughts away for now, "What's wrong?"

"Are you going to bed?" He nodded making the bear beam, "Good. I was getting worried,"

"Why?" It wasn't odd for Bepo to worry about him.

"You haven't slept right since Ari-chan got hurt," Law stared at Bepo in surprise, "Even when you did sleep, you woke up after an hour or two," Bepo smiled brightly, "Have a nice night Captain,"

Bepo turned and left leaving Law alone in front of his open door.

* * *

Law was staring up at his ceiling as he contemplated what Bepo had said. It was true that he hadn't slept well since the marine attack. In fact, he hadn't slept until the day after the attack due to having to take care of the injured crew members. When he had fallen asleep, it was always a fitful, nightmare filled sleep that wasn't actually restful. He grimaced at the memories of those nightmares and the fact that his most recent ones involved Ariun in someway. He frowned slightly at that. Why exactly was Ariun part of his nightmares? Come to think of it, why did seeing her awake make him feel lighter? Sure she was a member of his crew and he always felt worried when one of them got hurt, but that didn't feel right. Ariun getting hurt was like Bepo getting hurt. It made him feel worried and horrible when it happened, but why? He groaned softly and turned on his side. He needed to sleep and think about this with a well rested mind rather than an exhausted one. He drifted off with a slight sigh...

 _Soft humming filled the air as he slowly woke up. He looked around him and noticed that he was in his room on the sub. He looked around for the source of humming and found Ariun sitting on the couch facing away from his bed. He sat up and got off his bed before walking over to her. Almost automatically, his arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders and he buried his face in her hair. She giggled, "Look who's finally awake."_

 _He found himself replying, "I wouldn't be awake if you hadn't left our bed."_

 _Our bed? What the fuck? Ariun snorted in reply, "You try staying in bed when all you want to do when you wake up is puke."_

 _He found himself frowning and releasing her, "Ariun-ya are you-"_

 _"I'm fine," She cut him off as he moved around the couch, "It's just a little morning sickness is all,"_

 _He found himself dropping to his knees before her and setting his hand on her stomach. He was surprised to feel a slightly noticeable swell, "I still worry about you."_

 _"I know," She smiled softly and reached out to cup his cheek, "And I love you for it,"_

 _"And I love you," He found himself replying._

Law shot up as his eyes snapped open. What the hell did he just dream?

 **End.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law shut the book he had been attempting to read with a growl before reaching up and rubbing at his temples. Why the hell couldn't he focus? The dream he had just a few hours ago reared it's head and he groaned. Why the hell had he dreamt that? He leaned back against his chair as a knock echoed on his office door, "Come in."

Buck walked inside with a tray in his hands, "Morning Captain. How's the Kitten today?"

"She's doing well," The chef set the tray on his desk and Law began to eat his breakfast.

"Captain ya seem slightly..." The chef paused for a moment, "Well ya seem to be distracted today. Penny for your thoughts?"

Law was tempted to tell Buck to leave the situation alone, but found himself hesitating. He needed an answer to his questions and knew a second opinion would help him get those answers. Buck was also the best to speak to about things like whatever the hell this was because the man knew how to keep a secret and wouldn't blab to the whole crew. Outside of Bepo, Law trusted Buck the most out of the whole crew. With that in mind, Law sighed deeply, "Buck-ya have I been acting diffrent recently?"

The chef seemed slightly surprised by the question before contemplating his answer. Law waved his hand towards the chair across from him and the chef took a seat. After a few moments, the chef looked at him, "Permission to speak freely?" Law felt slightly confused by the question before nodding, "Captain you've been happier since Ari-chan joined the crew with Kuro and Maki," The chef took off his cowboy hat and ran a hand through his wavy brownish-red hair, "You don't seem as harsh or as easy to anger. You also eat in the galley with us more often and seem easier to approach," The chef smiled slightly as Law felt his eyes narrow, "While you act the same as you usually do on the islands we go to, you usually have the Kitten in your group."

Law thought it over and realized that the man was right prompting him to ask, "Why the hell would I do that though?"

"Easiest way to put it," Buck smiled at him, "You're in love with her Captain,"

"In love?" Him?

"That's what I'm thinking Captain," Buck seemed slightly amused, "You worry over her when she's hurt,"

"I do that with everyone," He reminded the man while trying to come to terms with what he was hearing.

"Captain you've barely slept a wink since the Kitten got hurt," Buck snorted softly, "And I can tell that when you did sleep, it was filled with nightmares that most likely involved our resident zoan user,"

"So what?" He snapped before grimacing at the sharp tone his voice had taken.

"Captain the only time someone is that worried about someone is if they're either kin," The chef was smiling, "Or they're in love. You obviously don't love her like a sibling if those heated glances and kisses you gave her said something," The man laughed, "Not only that, you let her get away with things that'd you never let someone get away with,"

"Like what?" He was starting to see what Buck was saying even if it was reluctantly.

"You let her call you by your first name rather than captain like the rest of us," The man pointed out, "You let her go off on her own when we're on an island rather than force her to go with anyone,"

"She can take care of herself," Law pointed out while part of him began accepting what the man was saying.

"Course she can," Buck shook his head, "Anyone with eyes could see that, but so can everyone on the crew and you make everyone else go with a partner,"

Law took in all the facts and the things he'd been feeling since meeting Ariun. The interest he felt when he first saw her and met her eyes. The surprise he felt when she was revealed to be a zoan user. The amusement he felt when he watched her interact with Maki and Kuro back before they joined the crew. The interest he felt when watching her kill Diablo. The wonder he felt when watching her fight that marine back on Zender. The anger and disgust he felt when reading about what had been done to Ariun. He remembered that Ariun brought up his memories of Lami and Corazan. He remembered the mass amount of amusement he felt whenever he got a reaction out of her. He remembered being unable to stop himself from wanting to touch her. He remembered all the times she had convinced him to stargaze with her until she fell asleep. He remembered the anger he felt when Ariun was with those women on the last island. He remembered the cold rage he felt when he saw Ariun laying on the ground and bleeding. He could barely remember anything other than the extreme want to kill that bitch and make sure Ariun survived. He remembered the sheer panic he felt when Ariun almost died while he was operating on her. Realization hit him with all the force of Ariun jumping on him, he was in love with Ariun, "Shit."

"Captain?" Buck looked at him in confusion as Law pulled his hat off his head, "What's wrong?"

"Ariun-ya's my subordinate," Law ran his hand through his spiky hair, "I can't be in a relationship with her,"

"Why not?" Buck asked with a slight smile.

"Because captain's aren't supposed to be in a romantic relationship with their subordinates," Law groaned softly.

"Captain we're pirates," The chef pointed out with a laugh, "We can do as we please,"

Law's hand froze before he thought that over. Once that was done, he smirked, "Right. We're pirates. We do and take what we want."

* * *

I was reading one of my books that Maki had brought to me when Law walked into the room. I glanced at the clock and realized that it was time for him to check my stitches. I set my book down beside me and looked at Law while hoping he wasn't going to act odd like he had this morning. I noticed almost immediatly that he seemed to be in a much better mood than this morning prompting me to comment, "You seem to be in a better mood. Did Buck tell you that we've run out of bread or something?"

Law chuckled and shook his head as he got out what he'd need to change the bandages on my chest, "No," He tossed me a smirk over his shoulder, "Why were you paying so much attention to me? Trying to decide if you love me or not?"

"No. I was trying to find your weakness," I snorted at the thought though my heart beat sped up a little, "If I find your weakness, I'll be able to win our game much faster,"

Law made his way over with a smirk, "If that's true, I'll win our game fairly quickly."

"Oh?" What the hell was he talking about?

He stayed quiet as he set the materials in his hands on the rolling cart next to the bed I was in. Once he set that stuff down, he reached out and cupped my cheek. Sparks of pleasure shot down my spine as his thumb brushed against my whisker-scars. The pleasure doubled when his other hand reached up and rubbed one of my leopard ears. A low moan left me as my eyes slid closed and I leaned into the touch. As a pleasurable haze settled over my mind, I felt Law's warm breath against my lips and heard him murmur, "I know your weaknesses."

Before my mind could clear, I felt his lips on mine. Without thinking about it, I started kissing him back. A gasp left me when he nipped my bottom lip and his tongue found it's way into my mouth. I moaned softly as the muscle brushed against my own and enticed it into a game of war. I finally got to taste him and found that I rather liked it. It was a strange mixture of mint, coffee, and strawberries. My fingers slipped into Law's hair causing his hat to fall and found it to be silky soft. Law groaned as I tugged lightly on his obsidian locks and his hands fell away from my head to my hips. He turned my body towards him which made my hazy mind realize that my slightly twisted position had caused me some pain. He pulled me closer to him as one of his hands found their way to my hair and his other arm wrapped around my waist. It wasn't long before the need for air became too much and we broke apart. My head rested on his chest and my hands dropped down to his shoulders as the hand in my hair fell to my waist. I took the time to finish clearing the haze that had descended over my mind and realized that my chest was hurting. I pushed away from him to place a hand over my chest with a mutter of, "Ow."

* * *

Any comments or observations his mind conjured fled upon hearing those words, "Ariun-ya move your hand," She did as he asked and he grabbed a scalpel, "Room," His room appeared around them as Ariun looked at him in confusion, "Scan."

"What is this ability?" Ariun asked as Law looked over her chest.

"It allows me to x-ray you without having to use my machine which would be a bad idea when we're not close to an island," He explained to her and felt relieved when he found that nothing had torn open, "You're alright,"

"Doesn't feel that way," She grimaced making him chuckle.

"The pain medication I gave you this morning must have worn off," He pushed down his amusement and settled into his doctor mindset, "I'm going to check you over,"

* * *

After he had bandaged her up and made sure that her stitches were okay, he put everything away as Ariun asked, "What brought that on?"

Knowing what she was referring to, Law chuckled and smirked over his shoulder at her, "I felt like it and you looked too good to not want to taste."

Her cheeks gained a pale pink rose-like hue and he felt his amusement double as well as his pride in causing that blush. Now that he'd realized his feelings, he found himself wanting to cause her to blush more. It made her look better in his mind and it made him want to have her under him all the more. He would definitely wait until she was healed before he took her in his bed, but it would be worth it if he could continue to make her blush. Ariun shook her head, "I don't look like this. In fact, I think I look kind of crappy," Her nose scrunched up, "When will I be able to take a shower?"

Immediately, he found his smirk growing and Ariun seemed to realize something. Oh the next two weeks were going to be amazing. He turned towards her and leaned back against the counter, "You won't be able to shower for a week and even then you'll need someone to help you wash until your wound fully heals."

* * *

"So I'll be..." I trailed off as my mind conjured images of a naked Law helping me shower.

My cheeks heated up as Law chuckled in a husky way and his grey eyes became half-mast, "Why Ariun-ya, you'll be bathing with me."

Law and I in a bath together. Naked as the days we were born. Without really noticing it, my eyes roved over his form and I nibbled on my bottom lip. Maybe it won't be too bad.

 **End**


	52. Chapter 52

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Bepo walked into the infirmary carrying a tray of food and beamed at me, "Hello Ari-chan! How are you today?"

"Pretty good," Bepo walked over to me as I set my book down and set the tray of food on my lap, "What about you?"

"I'm good," I began eating as he took a seat in a nearby chair, "So Captain's having you stay in his room?"

Immediately, a small blush formed on my cheeks, but I pushed it down as I nodded, "Yeah. How is everyone?"

"They're really glad you're getting better," I smiled upon hearing that, "Especially Captain,"

"Law was worried about me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bepo nodded with a bright smile, "Yup! He didn't sleep well at all after you got hurt. He was really worried about you."

Law lost sleep over me? The thought made me feel warm though I pushed it away. He probably did the same thing every time someone on the crew got hurt like I did, so it wasn't anything special. Even if I kinda wanted it to be. I shoved that thought away with a mental groan. Where the hell did that come from?

* * *

Law easily lifted Ariun into his arms making her squeak slightly. He chuckled and offered her an amused look, "A problem Ariun-ya?"

Her cheeks gained the faint pale rose-like tint it usually did when she was slightly embarrassed and she glared at him, "Yes. You picked me up without telling me."

"I will endeavor to tell you next time," Yeah that wasn't going to happen if it got her to make that sound and blush.

Ariun huffed and laid her head on his shoulder. He held back a shiver when she breathed out against his ear. He began to walk towards the doors as Ariun asked, "So did someone put some of my clothes in your room?"

"Maki-ya did at my request," Ariun nodded with a small sigh, "Are you happy about that?"

"Yes since Maki will actually grab things I'll wear while Kuro just picks up things at random," Ariun snorted softly while Law felt a small stab of jealousy at the amount of trust she gave Maki.

"Has something like this happened before?" He asked while pushing down the illogical stab of jealousy towards one of her brother figures.

Ariun nodded as they left the infirmary, "Once for a chest injury while the other times were when I got sick enough that Maki wouldn't let me stay somewhere alone."

"A previous chest injury?" Law hadn't noticed any scars during his checks on her injury.

He reached his room and easily opened the door before walking inside as Ariun nodded, "Yeah it wasn't anything too bad and the scars pretty faded so you probably wouldn't have noticed it unless I pointed it out."

"What exactly happened?" He made his way towards his couch where he set her down as gently as he could.

Once he set her down and backed away a bit, she placed her right hand on the area just below her heart, but before her stomach. A small jolt of coldness ran through him at just how close she had come to dying before, "I was cornered by Diablo's goons when I was fourteen. Beat them all, but one of them managed to get me right there. Maki happened to be passing by the alley we were in and got me the medical attention I needed. It was a bitch to heal from."

"Do you realize how lucky you've been?" He asked without thinking.

He regretted it for a few moments as she stared at him blankly until she let out a laugh before stopping with a small grimace, "Note to self: Do not laugh," She shook her head lightly before smiling up at him, "I know that I've been really lucky when it comes to shit like that. Just an inch upwards, I woulda been dead," He was surprised by how at ease she was with that, "My lucks really odd. When I'm in situations like that, I'm always saved by someone and usually get something out of it that makes my life slightly easier," He found himself agreeing as he remembered how he saved her from bleeding to death and the events that led to her joining his crew, "My luck turns shitty when it comes to me talking a lot of the time."

"Like with Buck-ya hearing you say 'It seems like the only way Buck could manage to give life to anything'," He recalled with some amusement.

Ariun grimaced, but nodded, "Yeah. I did apologize though."

* * *

"Ariun-ya," I looked at Law curiously, "Why are you so at ease with how close you've come to dying?"

Humming softly, I leaned back against his couch as I thought about it, "I guess it has to do with how death always seems to be apart of my life."

He sat down on the couch across from me, "How so?"

"Ever since I can remember, I've been surrounded by death," My eyes closed as I recalled the deaths I've seen and even caused, "The first person I ever recall dying was some random marine that had come to the island. I think I was around three or so when that happened. Ever since then, I've seen, and later caused, many deaths," I sighed softly, "Death is something that will happen regardless of what we do. I've long since decided that I'm going to live my life as best as I can and see what happens,"

"So you're not scared of dying?" I opened my eyes and looked at Law at the perturbed tone he used.

"Why should I be scared?" I countered as I felt a small amount of confusion both at the question and the tone he used when asking it, "I know that one day I will die, so I'm not scared of that. The only thing that I'm scared about is if I'll be surrounded by those I love as my heart beats it's last,"

Law seemed to be shocked at my answer and I was surprised to see some emotion pass through those grey eyes of his, but it passed too quickly for me to figure out what emotion it was. It must have been a bad one because his eyes darkened a little and the darkness in them seemed to grow. I was torn from my thoughts as Law said, "I hope you'll fight to live until then."

"Of course," It was an odd statement and I wondered why he said it, "I will fight as hard as possible and only accept my death when it is unavoidable,"

* * *

After that odd conversation, Law got up and headed to his desk. I stayed in my relaxed position on his couch as my mind went to the events on the island we left. Lee and her partner came to mind almost immediatly. I wonder what will happen with _he_ goes back to that island and can't find _his_ crewmembers. I mentally grimaced as I realized that the innkeeper had seen me leaving with Lee tossed over my shoulder which would most likely make that bastard realize that I'm still very much alive. I pushed that thought away as it was too late to change anything. My thoughts turned to my injuries and reminded me that I hadn't showered since the morning of the attack. The thought immediatly reminded me that I was going to be taking a bath with Law at some point which made my face heat up. God damn it! Why the hell am I blushing? My thoughts were cut off as a familiar bag was settled in my lap and Law teasingly asking, "Ariun-ya why are you blushing?"

"No reason," I busied myself with my canvas bag and checking to see what Maki had put in it.

I was slightly surprised when I felt Law's hand on my chin and he tilted it back until I was staring up at him. He smirked at me in a way that made me internally shudder. My blush deepened slightly as his voice took on a huskiness that sent heat straight towards my core, "Ariun-ya there's no need to lie. Perhaps you were thinking of our bath tonight?"

My mind immediatly conjured up images of a naked Law while some distant part of my mind wondered if any of them were accurate since I'd never seen him naked. The fact remained that the images were enough to make my cheeks heat up even more. I mentally pleaded for Bepo or someone to interrupt this conversation while I asked, "When are we going to bath?"

"Sometime after dinner," He replied making me feel slightly relieved, "It will be after I take care of my captainly duties for the night," He looked at me in a way that made me shiver, "Looking forward to it?"

I swallowed which made his smirk widen. He leaned down, but before he could press his lips against mine there was a knock on the door. I was torn between mentally cheering and groaning as Law moved away from me. I returned my attention to my canvas bag and began looking through it. Maki had taken a lot of stuff I usually had in my bag out of it, but I didn't mind since it gave him enough room to put in five pairs of day clothes. I was slightly surprised to find that he hadn't put in any of my night clothes, but reasoned that he probably couldn't fit any in it since my sketchbook and drawing supply pouch took up quite a bit of room. I made a mental note to tell Law of my lack of clothes to sleep in so that Maki could bring me a few sets as well as my usual bathing supplies

* * *

Law offered Maki a raised eyebrow as he held out another bag, "Captain this is has Storm's night clothes and bathing supplies."

"Why wasn't this with everything else?" Law asked feeling irritated that the silver haired male had stopped him from kissing Ariun.

"I couldn't fit it in her bag and had to find another in my room," The silver haired male actually looked faintly irritated, "Kuro's a slob which turned a five minute search into an hour long one,"

Law promised himself that he would punish the brunette haired male later as he took the bag, "Return to your work."

Maki nodded, "Aye Captain."

The silver haired man left and Law retreated back into his room after closing the door. He saw Ariun flipping through one of her sketchbooks with a soft hum. He walked over and set the bag next to her which immediately gained her attention, "Maki-ya just delivered your night clothes and bathing supplies."

"Good this will save me the working of telling you that I didn't have this stuff," She looked through it and nodded to herself, "Looks like I'm all set,"

He chuckled softly at the childishness in that statement before heading over to his desk, "I'm going to be working on paperwork."

Ariun hummed in reply and a companionable silence settled over them as he settled in his chair.

* * *

It was late when Law returned to the room after we ate dinner in here. I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow as he muttered, "Idiots."

"What's wrong?" I set my sketchbook down as Law moved further into the room.

He set Kikoku against his desk and took off his hat revealing the spiky obsidian strands that were softer than they looked. He ran a hand through his hair in irritation, "They decided to celebrate your recovery."

"Without me?" I snorted softly, "And when we're not near an island with a stable magnetic field? Idiots indeed," Law chuckled while I muttered, "Kuro probably started it,"

Law walked over to me and picked me up. I let out a small squeak gaining a chuckle from him. Before I could ask what was going on, he was walking towards the bathroom door. Realizing what was going on, I felt my face heat up slightly as Law said, "Due to how busy most of the day is, you're going to be bathing at night until you're healed as this is one of the only times I'll have the time to help you."

"Why can't Bepo help me shower?" Why was I even asking that question? "Or Maki?"

"Because Bepo-ya is steering the ship and his claws can't be retracted like yours can," I mentally wince at the mental picture, "As for Maki-ya, I do not want him in my room,"

 **End**


	53. Chapter 53

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law set me down on the sink and walked over to the waiting bathtub. Much like his room, the bathroom was done in black's, yellow's and small amounts of white dots. He had a shower stall that was big enough for two people which made my mind conjure up various images of the fun to be had in there. I shook off those images as Law walked over and set his hands on either side of my hips. Even when sitting on the sink, I still had to look up at him. He smirked down at me, "I'm going to grab the bag with your night clothes in it. You can either undress yourself or I'll do it for you, but do not get off the counter."

Without another word, he left me sitting on the counter. I was tempted to wait for him, but pushed that idea away since I could get undressed by myself. I grabbed the edge of my shirt and began to pull it up. I got it halfway up before realizing that I couldn't exactly get it off without bending and bending caused my stitches to pull a little. I knew I should have worn one of my button down shirts. I sighed softly and let my shirt fall back into place just in time for Law to return. He gave me a raised eyebrow as he set the bag with my night clothes in it on the counter not far from me. With a small sigh, I explained, "I can't get my shirt off without bending in someway which causes my stitches to pull a little."

Law smirked at me in reply and grabbed the edges of my shirt. I rolled my eyes as I lifted my arms up and he pulled my shirt off with ease. He seemed slightly surprised by the absence of a bra and asked, "No bra?"

"They're a pain in the ass to deal with and would only hinder me in a fight, so I usually wear chest wraps," I explained, "And with my injury, I can't wear one because of where it is,"

* * *

Law's smirk returned as he heard that. So that meant she didn't have any bras, it actually made sense now that he thought about it. He had been wondering why Ariun hadn't been complaining about her things going missing in the wash, "Hm...That explains why nothing of yours has gone missing."

"What do you mean?" She looked slightly confused.

"The twins have a habit of stealing bras from whoever they end up bedding," He explained making Ariun's eyes widen.

"That's why they asked about that," Her eyes narrowed, "And they try to play down their perverted natures,"

Law chuckled at that, "Everyone on the crew save for Bepo and I are perverts."

She offered him a look and said, "You're not a pervert? Every guy's a pervert in someway."

"Oh and how exactly am I perverted?" He tossed her shirt into the laundry basket before setting his hands on her hips.

She hummed softly and reached up to tap her chin with one of her fingers, "Hm...Let's see how are you perverted," She offered him a dry look as his thumbs hooked themselves into the waistband of her pants, "Example one is this," She waved a hand towards her hips though she made no attempt to remove his hands, "Example two: All the times you touch my whisker-scars," He smirked at her, "And when you touch my ears," He chuckled at that, "The morning after we stargazed together comes to mind as well."

"Your tail wouldn't let me move off of you," He pointed out gaining a small shrug from her.

"You tried to keep me in bed even after I removed my tail," He chuckled at that.

* * *

"Hm...True," He smirked at me, "Let's get you out of your pants. It's time for us to have our bath,"

My face heated which I hoped was unnoticed since steam had begun to fill the room as I willed my ears and tail away. Law had me place my arms around his neck and hold onto him as he finished helping me get undressed. Once my pants and underwear were off, He removed the bandages on my chest and checked me over before nodding to himself. He picked me up and walked over to the almost full tub before carefully setting me in the water. I let out a low moan at the wonderful feeling of scalding hot water gaining a chuckle from him. He turned off the faucet as I closed my eyes in joy at the heat the water gave me. My eyes snapped open not even three minutes later at feeling his arms around me. I squeaked as he picked me up and got into the tub before settling me on his lap, "Is this necessary?"

He chuckled and the sound reverberated through my back, "Of course. Can't have you slid in and not be able to pick yourself up."

"Couldn't we have showered?" Why had I asked this earlier?

I shuddered slightly as he breathed out against the back of my neck, "You can't stand on your own."

I wanted to move away, but the heat kept me where I was. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me against his chest. Part of me wanted to struggle against him, but I decided to push that part of me away and enjoy the moment as I laid my head on his shoulder. One of his hands found it's way to my chin and turned my head towards his. He was smirking at me making me want to glare at him, "What?"

"I'm surprised you haven't attempted to push me away," He commented in reply.

"I would have if it weren't for the heat surrounding me," I admitted with a small sigh, "Ever since I ate my devil fruit, I've become more passive when I'm surrounded by heat like this,"

"Interesting," He pulled his hand away from my chin and reached for one of the bottles lining the tub, "You're likely to fall asleep like this, aren't you?"

I nodded feeling slightly sleepy, "Yes."

* * *

He definitely like this side of her and would most likely find ways to get her into this position. He briefly wondered what would happen if he tried anything before pushing that thought away. He had to wait until she was healed because while it would be enjoyable, he wasn't sure how her body would handle it. With that in mind, he went about getting her cleaned up.

* * *

By the time Law had finished washing my hair, I was ten seconds from falling asleep. The man was really skilled with his hands. The thought made me blush as I wondered how skilled he was at using them for more pleasurable acts. The roughness of the wash rag was using to clean me stirred me from my thoughts. He had pushed me forward slightly to clean my back. I felt him pause near the middle of my back prompting me to remember the tattoo I had there.

* * *

Law stared at the tribal dragon design in surprise. The river dragon was done in a dark blue almost black ink. The tail was curled around what looked to be a bouquet of sweetpeas. He asked softly, "What's this tattoo for?"

"The old man," Ariun's voice was soft, "I got it a month after he died. The dragon is him. The sweetpeas represent me saying goodbye because I wasn't able to do so,"

* * *

Law was quiet the rest of the time he helped me bath which was a surprise. I wondered what was going through his mind, but pushed that thought away as he stood up with me in his arms. He stepped out of the tub and grabbed one of the nearby towels before setting me on the counter. He wrapped the towel around me and grabbed one for himself. I immediatly began drying off while wondering why Law hadn't cleaned himself up. As if he noticed what was going through my mind, he said, "I shower in the mornings."

"Why not make me wait to bath until the morning?" I asked as I began drying my hair.

"Because you needed a bath as soon as possible and I didn't want to sleep next to you while you smelled like that," I nodded at the reasons even if it sucked to hear him say I smelled bad even if those weren't his exact word, "Don't you feel better?"

"Much," I replied as I tried my best to dry off.

Law seemed to notice my difficulty and chuckled as he wrapped his towel around his waist before he took my towel. He began helping me dry off and within moments, I was almost completely dry. Once I was dry, Law took care of my injury as I grabbed my nightclothes. He helped me pull my clothes on before picking me up and taking me back into his room. I was glad that I hadn't made a sound this time. He set me on his bed after pulling back the covers and I immediatly laid back while stretching out slightly. Law snorted as I closed my eyes, "You do realize that I'm going to be sleeping in my bed as well, right?"

I didn't bother answering as I cuddle into his bed and marveled at how soft it was. I heard something drop onto the ground and cracked open an eye as I turned my head to see what had happened. My cheeks heated up almost immediatly upon seeing Law without his towel on. He was turned away from me and walking over to the large dresser against the wall. My eyes drifted over his back and marveled at the jolly roger he had tattooed there. My eyes drifted downward and goddamn did he have a nice ass. It was probably the nicest one I've seen on a guy so far. I quickly closed my eyes as I caught sight of Law turning and I mentally smacked myself for doing that. Some part of me pointed out that Law had seen me naked, so it was only fair that I got to see him naked. Another part of me pointed out that I was planning on sleeping with him in the non-innocent way, so seeing him naked didn't mean shit. If anything, seeing him naked was a preview and tell me just how large he was. I mentally groaned just as I felt a hand on my cheek. I cracked open an eye and looked at Law, "Yes?"

"Move over," He ordered making me snort.

"Too comfortable," I closed my eye.

* * *

Law lifted her up gaining that amusing little squeal of hers and settling on his bed. He laid back after settled her next to him and pulled the covers back as he laid back. Once that was done, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him. He smirked at her as her eyes opened and glared at him, "What's with that look Ariun-ya?"

"I was comfortable damnit," He was surprised to hear her growling.

"Comfortable or not, it's my bed and I'm sleeping in it," She continued to growl at him.

Without really thinking about it, he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. She stopped growling immediatly as he licked her bottom lip. She didn't open her mouth immediatly prompting him to nip at her bottom lip. Once she opened her mouth to gasp, he slipped his tongue in and took in her flavor as he coaxed her tongue to play a game with his. She tasted of chocolate, strawberries, and spiced rum which made an oddly delicious flavor that he enjoyed. When they broke apart, Ariun's body had relaxed fully and she closed her eyes. In seconds, she was asleep causing him to smile. The next two weeks were definitely going to be fun.

 **End**


	54. Chapter 54

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

When Law woke up the next morning, he found a head of black spotted white hair on his chest and a leopard's tail wrapped around his waist. He smirked upon seeing Ariun's cheek pressed against his chest with a peaceful smile on her face. One of her ears twitched occasionally as did her tail making him wonder about what she was dreaming of. He turned his head towards the clock in his room and noticed that he had slept for three hours more than he usually did. He glanced back at Ariun and saw that she was still deeply asleep. Mentally shrugging, he carefully maneuvered her off of him and got out of bed to get ready for the day.

* * *

 _Steam surrounded me and hot water curled around me. I glanced around and immediatly noticed that I was in Law's bathtub once again. Only this time, I wasn't injured. I contemplated what that meant when I heard a familiar chuckle, "Ariun-ya you didn't wait for me."_

 _"Was I supposed to?" I replied with a soft snort._

 _"I suppose not," Law once against picked me up and got into the tub before setting me down on his lap._

 _Rather than lay against him, I turned so that my knees were on either side of his legs and I was facing him, "Didn't I tell you to not pick me up like that?"_

 _"Didn't I tell you that I don't listen to anyone's orders," He replied as he reached out to cup my cheek and ran his thumb across my cheek._

 _I groaned softly before asking, "Must you do that?"_

 _He chuckled in reply and leaned forward to capture my lips into a kiss. The kiss however was much diffrent from the others we had shared. Before they were slightly run of the mill with only a small amount of heat, the kiss we shared now was filled with passion and made me moan softly. Law broke the kiss as air became needed and kissed his way down my jaw to my neck. I gasped as he found my sweet spot causing me to moan softly as he nipped and sucked at it. He pulled away from my neck to murmur, "You're quiet in bed aren't you?"_

 _I smirked at him in reply before pushed forward to initiate another kiss. One of his hands was running up and down my side as the other gripped at my hair. I pulled away and kissed my way down his jaw as he had done moments before. I nipped and sucked at various spots on his neck until-_

"...iun-ya," Law's voice cut through my dream.

I groaned softly as I opened my eyes to glare at him, "Why did you wake me up?"

"You need to get up," He replied with an amused smirk, "I need to check your injury,"

"Couldn't you do that while I was asleep?" I asked while trying to ignore my dream for the moment.

"Yes, but you need to get ready for the day as well and I do not have much time to help you get ready," He pulled the blanket off of me and held out a hand, "Time to get up,"

Groaning softly, I grabbed his hand and let him help me sit up.

* * *

After Law had gotten Ariun up and ready for the day, they ate breakfast and he left to check on the crew. Amusingly enough, he only had to deal with four people with bad hangovers, two people with new piercings, and only one person with a broken finger. Law wouldn't admit it aloud, but the actions of his crew always amused the hell out of him especially when they got drunk. He left the two people with new piercings alone while telling them, "You deal with the consequences of your actions."

It had amused the hell out of him that one of those idiots had been Kuro and the other had been Shachi. The person with the broken finger had been Kuro as well prompting Law to somewhat forgive the idiotic brunette for being the cause of a missed chance to kiss Ariun. Once he had those people settled, he went to check on the navigators. Bepo was the first to greet him, "Hello Captain!"

The bear's voice was the perfect mixture of loudness and sharpness that caused the other navigators to cry out in pain. Law chuckled at the innocent way Bepo took revenge on his crewmates for their actions towards him. The fact that none of them realized that this was how the bear got his revenge just made the situation all the more amusing. It was one of the reasons Law had never bothered to correct their behavior though he did wonder when they would realize what the bear was doing and take the hint. Shaking those thoughts away, he asked, "How are we doing?"

"Currently we're traveling at a faster rate than normal due to the fact the currents seem to be with us today," Bepo answered gaining a smirk from Law, "If the currents stay with us the rest of the day, our travel time will be cut down a few days,"

"What is your current estimation of how long it'll be until we reach the next island?" He asked feeling pleased with how things were going.

"Currently we're two days ahead of schedule meaning we should reach the island within the next two weeks give or take a day," Ah that would mean they would be at an island by the time Ariun had healed fully.

"Good. Anything we should be worried about?" He asked gaining a nod from Bepo.

"We're approaching an underwater volcano field," Bepo answered with a slight frown, "From what we can tell, we won't be able to go fully around it and we'll need to surface fairly soon to avoid the tops of the volcanoes,"

"Can you take us to the edge of the field?" Law disliked the danger those fields provided.

"Yes," Law nodded at that.

"Then take us to the edge and surface when you must," He ordered gaining a series of nods from his navigators, "Send someone outside once we surface to watch for any ships. I do not want to caught off guard should there be someone waiting on the other side of the field,"

"Aye Captain!" He left the navigation room and made his way to his office.

* * *

I picked up the edge of my shirt as sweat poured down my front, "Damn it's hot," The door opened up and Law walked in, "Why the hell is it so hot?"

"We're passing over an underwater volcano field," He explained making me groan softly, "Feeling warm?"

"Yes," I panted softly, "I'm tempted to take my shirt off,"

The dark blue button down was becoming soaked in sweat which only made it worse. Law chuckled at that, "Then take the shirt off. You have bandages covering your chest up and no one's going to come in here other than me."

I took his suggestion and unbuttoned my shirt before tossing it towards the couch across from me. I sighed softly, "That feels a little better, but not much," I leaned back against the couch, "Is it almost time to check my injury?"

"Yes," He was walking over to me, "Are you in any pain?"

"It's just a dull ache," I answered as I moved my bag away, "It hurts if I move too much, so I'm staying as still as possible,"

"That's both good and slightly worrisome," Law replied as he reached me and began undoing the bandages on my chest after setting the things he needed down.

"How so?" I looked at him curiously.

"Good because it means you aren't stressing your injury too much which will allow it to heal faster," He answered as he quickly got the bandages off and peeled away the gauze over my stitches, "The worrisome part is that the pain medication I'm giving you isn't effective,"

Upon hearing the second part, I smiled in amusement, "Don't worry too much about it. When it comes to stuff like pain medication, I develop an immunity to it fairly fast."

"Why?" He looked over the stitches.

"I think it's due to the experiments that scientist did on me," I shivered as Law prodded at the sensitive flesh around the stitches, "It's probably a defense my body created after one too many times that man put me under or something,"

"If I have to do a major surgery, it means you'll be without the benefit of pain relief," Law commented while picking up a jar of some kind and unscrewing the lid after pulling on some gloves.

I watched as he got out some white cream and smeared it on my injury causing me to hiss as it immediatly began to sting. After the sting faded, I said, "I've dealt with pain before, so it won't be too bad. Sometimes it's better to feel the pain than not since it'll tell you if you're doing something to worsen the injury."

"True," He placed a clean thing of gauze on me before taking off his gloves, "I take it you learn by pain?"

"Sometimes," Law grabbed a fresh roll of bandages and began rewrapping my injury, "Law what's your goal exactly?"

"My goal?" He paused for a few moments, "I wish to become king of the pirates after getting rid of Joker," He looked at me, "What about you?"

* * *

He could tell she was surprised by the question and wondered if anyone had asked her that question before. She shook of her surprise fairly soon and said, "After killing _Him_ , I guess it's to help you with your goals."

"What will happen after I succeed?" He asked causing her to frown softly, "Ariun-ya?"

She was quiet for a few minutes which was all the time it took for him to finish wrapping up her injury. He put everything away and sat down next to her. She finally spoke after a few more moments, "I...do not know."

"You don't know?" He pressed with some confusion.

She shook her head with a frown, "The thing is," She looked at him and he was surprised to see a small amount of hesitation, "I do not know if I'll survive fighting _him_. Sure I'll kill him, I know that much, but the question is: Will I be strong enough to survive?" She bit her lip, "I know that I'm nowhere near strong enough right now, but how strong will I be by the time we face _him_?"

Law understood her concern as he faced the same problem. The pink bastard was strong and he damn well knew that if faced with him now, he would be killed before he could do any real damage. He knew that they would need to train their asses off to become strong enough to at least face them with even a small chance to win. The question that always burned in his mind since he had come up with this plan came to mind: Would he be strong enough to kill the pink bastard and live as Corazan wanted him to? Law pushed those thoughts away for the moment as he spoke to Ariun, "We won't know until that point, so the best thing to do is train."

"I can't," She gestured to her bandaged chest.

"Not while your injured, I meant once you're fully healed," Law chuckled slightly in amusement while Ariun blushed lightly in embarrassment, "We'll spar as often as we can and train with our devil fruits,"

"I know most of what I can do with mine," Ariun looked at him with a slight frown, "I don't think there's much more I can learn about it,"

"Zoan users are slightly limited compared to other devil fruits, but I'm sure there's more to your devil fruit," Ariun bit her lip again prompting him to lean forward and press a kiss to her lips.

He took her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled on it lightly. Ariun moaned softly from the contact. He released her bottom lip and decided to explore her mouth a little bit more.

 **End**


	55. Chapter 55

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"Captain!" Law looked up from his book as the door to his office swung open, "Josh just spotted a merchant ship being attacked by a pirate ship not even 25 feet away from the cloud of smoke released by the volcano field! A marine ship is heading towards there at a slow pace meaning it'll be an hour or so before they can even begin to help the merchants,"

Law smirked upon hearing that, "Alright. I want the crew to get ready to attack. Where is Josh-ya?"

"On the top deck," Shippo answered immediatly, "Anything else Captain?"

"Inform the rest of the crew of my orders as well as inform Ariun-ya that she is to stay put," Law stood from his desk and grabbed Kikoku, "Go,"

"Aye Captain!" Shippo raced off.

Law smirked as he walked through the sub towards the top deck. He would definitely be increasing his bounty with this.

* * *

I heard a knock on the door and quickly slipped my shirt on before calling out, "Come in."

Shippo opened the door, "Hey Ariun how are you feeling?"

"Fairly well," I offered him a raised eyebrow, "What's up?"

"We're about to attack some ships and Captain wanted me to tell you that you have to stay in here," The man informed me.

I snorted softly at the order, "Shippo I'm not going to move considering the fact I'm still injured. I can't even stand at the moment."

"Oh," Shippo blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Sorry about that. I guess Captain just wanted to make sure you wouldn't try anything,"

I felt faintly irritated at Law as I waved Shippo away, "Go do whatever else you need to do. I'll be fine."

"Right," The man raced off after closing the door.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the couch. Honestly, who the hell does Law take me for? I'm not going to move around when I'm like this.

* * *

Law watched as they approached the first two ships of the three he planned on attacking as Josh noted, "The pirate ship is almost done with the merchant ship. If the water around the two means anything, the merchant ship had one or two ships guarding it."

"Meaning the cargo on that merchant ship is special," Law contemplated what that would mean, "After we get rid of the other pirates and the marines, I want that merchant ship to be searched. If anything, we'll be able to add to our supplies,"

Josh nodded in agreement while Law looked over the merchant ship. It looked like a regular ship, but something about it told him that it wasn't. Law trusted his instincts and would make sure his men were wary as they ventured onto that ship. Law turned his eyes towards the marine's and smirked. The battle ahead of them was going to be fun and would get rid of the tension that had been brewing since they'd left the last island.

* * *

Law smirked at the sounds of fighting and the cries of his enemies as they died under his hands. Rather than mess around like he usually did, he took care of the other pirate crew quickly. He knew his crew wasn't too satisfied with the action they were currently getting, but they would soon forget it once the marines attacked.

* * *

I was surprised when I heard cannon fire and wondered who was attacking. I groaned softly as my fingers twitched and muttered, "Damn it. I want to fight," I glared at my bandaged chest before sighing and leaning back again, "I need to calm down and just tune it out."

My ears twitched as I listened to the sounds of fighting. We must be attacking the marines or something. I wonder-My thought process was cut off as I heard the tell tale sound of footsteps heading towards Law's room. I listened carefully and heard the footsteps stop outside of Law's door. I frowned and wondered what the hell was going on when I heard the unmistakeable sound of Callen's voice, "...Ot to get to the bitch before Captain and the others finish the fight. Once she's dead, everyone will go back to the way they were and realize that the bitch has them under a spell."

"Well fuck," I muttered and activated my ability as the door knob started turning.

I almost cursed at the cold feeling washing over me and the pain that ran through my chest. I closed my eyes as I tried to ignore the pain and listened as the door opened. I heard soft footsteps heading towards where I was. Callen was soon looking over the back of the couch next to where I was sitting and cursed, "Damn she's not sitting on the couches," The green haired male moved towards Law's bed and pulled up the covers only to come up empty, "Not here," He moved towards Law's bathroom and opened the door before walking inside, "She must be in here."

"Bastard," I hissed softly as it grew harder to breath.

He walked back out a moment later with a growl, "God damn it where the hell is she?!" He began pacing around behind the other couch, "She has to be here somewhere. I've already checked the infirmary and the bitches room, but not there. God damn it! She'll ruin everything I've worked for since joining Captain..."

My eyes widened as he continued to speak and I mentally pleaded for someone to get Callen before my ability failed as it became even harder to breath.

* * *

"Alright. I want you to divide into three groups and find anything useful on those ships," Law ordered them, "Those going onto the merchant ship need to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary and report back to me immediatly,"

"Aye Captain!" They immediatly went to work.

Law turned on his heel and began making his way back inside. He would make a quick stop in his room to put Kikoku away and see how Ariun was doing before heading the infirmary to check on those that had gotten injured during the battle. He knew Bepo and the others would be fine raiding the other ships. Law paused in his walking as he noticed the door to his room was open before moving towards the door quickly. He frowned deeply as he wondered if someone had somehow managed to get past his crew or something. He reached his room and moved inside with Kikoku partially drawn. What he found shocked him...

* * *

I panted softly as I let my ability go and collapsed on the couch. Callen was on the ground not far from me with one of his arms sticking out at an unnatural angle and his eyes wide as Maki glared down at him. Maki's normally golden eyes were completely blood red with black surrounding the iris. He had large red veins pulsing around his face and along his arms. One arm was extended towards Callen with Maki's hand twisted slightly. I heard footsteps heading towards the room at a quick pace and hoped it was Law. I was proven right not even a few seconds later as Law demanded, "What the hell is going on here?"

I didn't even bother speaking as Maki hissed out, "This vermin was attempting to kill Storm."

"What?" Law made his way towards us.

"Callen came in not long after the cannon fire started," I croaked out as Law reached the edge of the couch, "He came in here trying to kill me because he thinks I have all of you under a spell,"

"Ariun-ya," Law looked at me in alarm, "What happened to you?"

"My ability to hide myself," My chest was hurting, "My chest hurts,"

Black edged around my vision and before I knew it, I was unconscious.

* * *

Law glared down at the unconscious form of Callen from where the idiot lay on one of the operating tables in his secondary lab. What Maki had told him after he had seen to Ariun had made him see red...

 _"Captain," Law looked at Maki after hooking Ariun up to a few machines and correcting what damage had been done, "Callen was speaking of something other than what Storm told you,"_

 _"What did he say?" The man was no longer covered in red veins and looked like he usually did._

 _"He's said that she was ruining his work for the young master and that if he killed her, the young master would reward him," Maki grimaced darkly while shooting a glare towards the table holding Callen, "If that means anything, Callen is most likely a spy for whoever this 'Young Master' is and will betray you should he be ordered to,"_

Law took a deep breath to calm and reminded himself that he needed to get an answer out of Callen. While he would like to just kill the bastard, he knew the idiot would have information he needed to take down Doflamingo. He would also leave killing Callen up to Ariun seeing as the bastard was trying to kill her and Law wouldn't have known of any of this without Ariun. He really disliked the thought of letting the bastard live after what happened, but Ariun deserved the chance to kill him. Law smirked as he woke the bastard up. Callen just wouldn't be in the best condition when Ariun got him.

* * *

Law left Callen in his secondary lab after a fun few hours of torturing the bastard and gaining information that he wanted. He headed towards his room to shower and get the blood off of him before heading towards the infirmary. He found Ariun still asleep and Maki watching over her, "Any changes?"

"No," The silver haired male looked slightly disturbed, "Seeing her like this, it's horrible,"

Law agreed though he didn't voice it. However, Law took a small amount of comfort in the fact that he would be able to take her off the machines as soon as she awoke even if he wouldn't allow her out of the infirmary for at least five days after what happened. Law checked on the machines as he informed Maki, "I'm keeping her in the infirmary for the next five days due to what happened. Yamire-ya, you, and I will be keeping a close eye on her. I do not know if her ability will have slowed her healing down or caused it to degrade."

"Aye Captain," The silver haired male looked at him, "Captain what will happen to Callen?"

"I will be getting information from him and torturing him until Ariun is healthy enough to kill him," Law informed the male gaining a chilling grin from Maki.

"Captain if you want, I can make sure he won't die of blood loss," Law felt intrigued by that.

"How?" Law asked gaining a small laugh from Maki.

"My devil fruit is the Chi-Chi no Mi meaning I'm a blood man," Maki's eyes turned blood red once more and he regained the veins on his body, "I can of course turn into blood, but this is my prefered form while using my ability,"

Law began to consider all the new options Maki presented him with and he smirked. Not only was he getting rid of a spy, he had just gained more options to kill Doflamingo with. A thought ran through his mind and he asked, "Can you use your ability to speed up Ariun-ya's healing?"

Maki looked surprised by the question making Law realize that he had never considered using his ability to heal.

* * *

I groaned softly as I started coming to. My eyes felt like they had sand in them telling me that I had been asleep for awhile. I slowly opened my eyes and was relieved to find that the lights weren't really bright. They still stung my eyes a little, but not too badly. I looked around and noticed Yamire walking towards me. He smiled down at me, "Ari-chan how do you feel?"

"Tired and sore, but not too bad," The pain in my chest wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, "How long was I out?"

"Two days," I grimaced upon hearing that, "I'll go inform Captain that you're awake, so don't move too much,"

 **End**


	56. Chapter 56

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I resisted the urge to his as Law removed the I.V. from my arm and muttered, "I'm never getting this badly hurt again."

Law chuckled in amusement prompting me to glare at him. He just smirked at me in reply as he took care of the I.V. and the other machines he had me hooked up to. I refused to look at them which seemed to temper Law's amusement much to my relief. He seemed to be in a good mood for whatever reason making me wonder what the hell happened after I fainted. Law spoke as he walked over to me, "How do you feel?"

"Other than irritated at you for laughing at my pain?" I bit out sarcastically earning an eye roll from Law, "My chest doesn't hurt as much as it did when I lost consciousness, but it's a bit worse than it has been,"

Law nodded as if expecting my reply and to be honest, he probably had, "From what I've gathered, your ability puts pressure on your heart which is why the pain is worse. Thankfully, it doesn't see to affect your lungs very much."

"How far back did it put me?" I asked feeling pissed off at Callen for pushing back my recovery.

"A few days," I groaned softly, "However," I perked up, "I have an idea that may speed up your healing,"

I look at Law warily and asked, "How so?"

* * *

Law left the infirmary with a smirk on his face thirty minutes later. He felt confident in his plan and with Maki working on his ability through trying to heal Callen, it was most likely going to succeed. As he walked towards his office, he recalled what he had told Ariun about her ability. He frowned as he entered his office as he thought of the implications. Ariun's ability was a danger to her health in more ways than previously shown. It puts pressure on her heart which made him realize why her other symptoms occurred. He had theorized before that the ability had to be putting pressure on her body in someway, but couldn't figure out what it was. One of the things that completely threw him off was the fact sugar helped her recover. Why exactly was that? He groaned softly as he sat down in his seat. He needed to reread the scientists book and hopefully find out if he had missed something while reading through it. He pulled out one of the drawers on his desk and moved around the stuff inside of it until he reached the false bottom. Carefully prying it up, he removed the journal from the slightly crowded space and set it on his desk. He sighed deeply as part of him rebelled at even reading the book again, "Let's hope this has the information I need."

* * *

Maki walked into the infirmary and smiled at me, "How are you feeling Storm?"

"Well enough," I looked at him curiously and noted the red tint in his eyes, "Practicing your ability?"

"Yup," He grabbed one of the chairs and brought it over before slumping against it, "It's tiring, but I'm pretty sure I've almost got it,"

I nodded as he smiled brightly. Smiles like that were rare when it came to Maki, he usually had no reason to smile like that. If finding out he could heal people through using his devil fruit made him happy like this, I wouldn't protest it even if I disliked how tired it made him. Feeling curious about the ability Law had helped discover, I asked, "So how exactly does it work? Law told me that you two had discovered some way to heal me, but not exactly what. I'm pretty sure we would have figured this out by now and abused the hell out of it."

"The healing?" I nodded and had the pleasure of seeing Maki's eyes light up, "You know how I can control blood and stuff right?" I noded once again, "You know how I've always stopped us from bleeding out or caused my opponents to bleed out through any wound no matter how serious?"

"Yeah which is still creepy," I shuddered as I remembered the last time someone had gotten what had amounted to a paper cut and Maki used his ability to make them bleed out.

Maki rolled his eyes, but didn't argue since even he realized how creepy it was, "Anyway, you know how I can slow or speed up a persons blood flow right?"

"Maki please get to the point," I ran a hand through my hair.

"I'm getting there," He grumbled making me realize that he had a how speech about this planned, "I've never combined the two together,"

"Combine them together?" It sounded ludicrous, "How the hell can you combine them?"

"By stopping the blood flow at the top of the wound, I can make the blood under the surface circulate at a faster rate," He explained which still didn't explain how the it would work, "By doing that, I can fool your body into thinking days are passing which would make it heal the wound faster,"

"I can somewhat see how it would work, but wouldn't I need to sleep and eat a lot since my body would be using a lot of my energy to heal itself?" I asked gaining a nod, "How exactly will that work?"

"We're going to wait a few days which will give me better control of this ability," Maki began to explain, "After which, I'll begin using my ability on you. We're going to space it out to make sure it isn't causing any problems,"

"So it's a guessing game for the most part?" I felt both irritated and drained, "And why didn't you two ask me about this?"

"When have our lives no been a guessing game," Maki asked with a slight laugh, "As for why we didn't ask you, you were unconscious and it seems like a good idea,"

"Fucking males," I groaned softly wondering if Law would get another female crew member if only to give me someone without a dick to talk to, "I swear..."

Maki laughed at me and I glared at him response.

* * *

Law was glaring at the book once again and wondered just how sick in the head someone had to be to do all this. He'd been rereading the damn thing in between doing his captainly duties and checking on Ariun all day, yet no answer had come. He leaned back against his chair and ran a hand through his spiky obsidian hair. He was sure that the writer had something on what was happening to Ariun, yet it wasn't written in the book. Vaguely, he wondered if there was a second book written by the man. If so, it probably had what he wanted in it, but the question is: where would it be? He knew the marines didn't have it or else it the two would have been together. Law's eyes narrowed as he recalled something Ariun had said sometime ago...

 _"_ He _sold me to the scientist..."_

Law's jaw clenched as he realized where the second book likely was. Law mentally groaned at the thought and glared at the ceiling. If that book existed, he was going to have fun getting his hands on it. Fuck!

* * *

"Hello Ariun-ya," Law greeted Ariun as he walked into the infirmary, "How are you today?"

"Irritated with you," Ariun's tail swished behind her as she glared at him, "I thought I was only going to be in here for three days not four!"

Law chuckled in amusement as he felt himself relax and watched Ariun growl at him with her teeth bared. He noted with some amusement that they had been transformed into those of her leopard form, "Ariun-ya that's rude," She just continued to glare at him even as her teeth returned to normal and her tail seemed to still slightly, "I suggest not doing it."

Law wondered why even as she asked, "Why did I get stuck in here for another day?"

"Maki-ya needed the extra time to verify that the idea will work," He informed her gaining a curious look from her.

He watched her head tilt slightly which gave him a good view of her pale neck. He immediatly imagined all the marks he could leave on the pale column as Ariun moaned beneath him. He pushed those thoughts away as Ariun asked, "How exactly is he training this ability anyway?"

"Callen-ya has _graciously_ offered his services," Law smirked as he remembered his last session with the green haired man, "After all, he has to make up for what he's done to the crew and attempted to do to you,"

"You haven't killed him?" Ariun looked surprised which made him happy, "That doesn't seem like you,"

"I've been torturing him for information and using him to test some new substances I picked up," He explained watching Ariun shudder, "Does that bother you?"

She shook her head with a slight frown, "No...It just gives me unpleasant memories."

"You can't torture people can you?" He asked making her snort.

"I can torture people easily," She looked at him with a smirk that made his inner sadist grin manically, "I just can't do it in the setting you do. Remember Lee?"

Law suddenly remembered the aqua haired beauty and that Ariun had gotten the information from her. Ariun suddenly frowned prompting him to ask, "What is it?"

"The inn keeper saw me leaving with Lee," She explained making him curse inwardly, "I was too distracted by the information she gave me and what it would mean for us, so I didn't try to find alternatives,"

Law disliked that, but couldn't fault her. He was slightly pissed that it had happened, but it was too late to change it.

* * *

I was about to continue speaking when Maki walked in. He nodded to me before looking at Law, "So how are we doing this?"

"We'll start the process today," Law informed him, "We'll be going into theater one and I will monitor the situation with one of my abilities. Once Ariun-ya is at the point she was before the attack, we'll stop and wait two days before continuing,"

"Alright," Maki and I agreed.

Law picked me up and I squeaked softly earning a snicker from Maki. I glared at Maki and mimed slitting his throat. He snorted and rolled his eyes as Law carried me to the pair of double doors on the other side of the room. Law set me down on the metal bed, "Ariun take your shirt off."

"Right," I unbuttoned my black button down and took it off.

Maki took it from me as Law began undoing the bandages on my chest. Once I no longer had bandages or gauze, Law nodded to Maki as he created a small version of his room, "Room."

Maki had me lay back as he activated his devil fruit. A small jolt of irrational fear went through me as Maki looked down at me. He placed his hands over my chest, "Close your eyes Storm. I need you to be completely calm."

Doing as he said, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself. My ears twitched as Law said, "Scan. Maki-ya proceed."

I felt no diffrent than usual after a few minutes making wonder if it's even working when I started to feel something warm on my chest. Was I bleeding? Before I could start panicking, Maki spoke softly, "Storm relax, the heat your feeling is from how quickly your bloods moving."

Nodding slightly, I took another deep breath. As time went on, I began to feel tired and hungry. I ignored the two feelings until my stomach began to grumble and staying awake was hard. Law spoke a few minutes later as my stomach began to cramp, "Enough Maki-ya."

The warm feeling faded and I suddenly felt a little cold which pushed the sleepiness out of my mind. I opened my eyes as Maki asked, "How do you feel Storm?"

"Tired and hungry," I answered as he reached out and helped me sit up.

"Good that means it's working," Maki smiled at me as Law began inspecting my injury.

 **End**


	57. Chapter 57

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"So you're keeping Callen alive?" Ariun asked as she laid on his bed.

After checking over Ariun's wound, Law had brought her into his room once again. Law looked up from his desk as he replied, "I've decided to leave him alive for now."

Law returned to looking down at the papers on his desk once he finished speaking. Much as he'd like to deny it, he was having a hard time keeping himself in check. Ariun was sprawled out on his bed with her hair spread out on the pillows behind her. She was looking at him with half-lidded eyes that told him that she was tired. One of her arms was laid out behind her on the pillow. The hand of her other arm was on Ariun's stomach. The picture was very inviting and caused his cock to twitch. Part of his mind questioned why he was sitting at his desk and not over there taking Ariun up on what had to be an invitation. It was only the bandages on her chest that kept him from doing just that. He mentally grit his teeth and forced those thoughts down as Ariun asked, "Why?"

Law disliked being questioned and would normally punish the questioner in someway, but the question allowed him to ignore the thoughts Ariun's current position forced into his head. Offering her a smirk, Law spoke as he ignored the burst of want that ran through him the moment he spotted her sprawled out form, "While he has been spying on me for Joker and would have betrayed the crew as soon as Joker ordered it, I've decided to allow you the honor of killing him."

Ariun's eyes opened fully and she looked at him with a startled expression, "What? He was working for Joker?"

"Yes," Law wondered why she hadn't told him of everything Callen had said before being knocked out by Maki, "Ariun-ya why haven't you told me everything Callen-ya said during his attempted assassination?"

* * *

I frowned softly and tried to remember everything Callen had said; however, my efforts were rewarded with a slight twang of pain coming from my chest. I sighed as I answered Law, "I was trying to ignore the pain that my ability caused me. I barely remember anything after I the first few minutes of using it."

Law nodded with a slight frown, "I see. The pain must have been intense."

"It got worse as time went on," I explained as I felt my chest ache slightly in remembrance, "If Maki hadn't shown up and knocked Callen out, I probably would have passed fairly soon," I closed my eyes with a yawn, "So I get to decide what happens to him?"

"Yes though killing him is a must," I nodded sleepily gaining a chuckle from Law, "You should take a nap. It will be another two hours before dinner,"

Without much thought, I nodded once more before relaxing against the soft bed. My mind slipped out of consciousness after a few moments...

 _I walked down the dimly lit hallways of the sub and mentally calculated the time. If I was right, Law would be the only one on this floor. I smirked as I reached his door. It was time to win our little game. I knocked on the door and heard a slightly surprised, "Enter."_

 _I opened the door and walked inside, "Hello Law."_

 _He looked at me in slight surprise and confusion, "Ariun-ya? What are you doing up so late?"_

 _I walked towards him with a smile and said, "I wanted to talk to you."_

 _"About what?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, "What exactly could you wish to speak about this late?"_

 _"Why our little game of course," I purred out._

* * *

A knock at the door prompted Law to glance at the clock and nod to himself, "Come in."

Bepo opened the door and Buck walked inside while carrying two trays of food. Law directed the chef to the table between the couches as Bepo looked at Ariun, "Captain how is Ari-chan?"

"She's fine Bepo," Law felt a small amount of amusement at the relief the two showed, "In fact, she should be her regular self fairly soon,"

"Captain?" Buck looked at him with a slight frown, "Didn't the Kitten get a chest injury?"

Law debated not telling them, but thought better of it. The crew would be more at ease knowing that there was someone that could make their recovery time shorter even if Maki-ya wouldn't always do that. They would have found out once Ariun was fully healed and walking around without help. With that decided, Law informed the two, "Maki-ya's devil fruit ability gives him the power to control blood. Through that power, he can quicken the healing process which is how Ariun-ya is going to return to her normal self soon."

"A blood user?" Both looked creeped out.

Law wouldn't admit it allowed, but he found that devil fruit to be creepy as well. It was useful as hell and Law would make sure to abuse it, but it was still somewhat creepy. Law was glad to have Maki on his side if only because of the potential the silver haired chi-chi no mi user had. Law nodded with a chuckle and sent the two away before turning his attention to Ariun. She was still asleep and Law was once again struck by the peacefulness on her face. He made his way over to her while mentally debating his actions. Ariun needed the sleep, but she also needed to eat. She would be happy to have slept a little longer, but she would also be unhappy that she missed dinner. Law reached her and placed his hand on her cheek. He ran his thumb across the whisker-scar sitting there as she leaned into the touch much like a cat would, "Ariun-ya wake up."

Ariun let out a low groan and shifted slightly, "N-no..."

"Ariun-ya wake up," He was a bit louder this time from the slight irritation he felt at being told no.

Ariun merely shifted away from him and turned her head towards the wall. Law frowned at her ignoring him even if it was unconsciously. If there was one thing he disliked, it was being ignored. Law placed his hand on her other cheek and gently forced her head to face towards him. As he did so, he was surprised to hear her moan softly and murmur, "Law..."

Law's eyes widen as a burst of lust ran through him. He then smirked as he wondered just what she was dreaming about to be moaning his name. He debated allowing her to wake up on her own, but remembered the food sitting on the coffee table. With a mental sigh, he tried to figure out how to wake her up when he noticed her lips. They were slightly parted and in perfect position to kiss. With a slight chuckle, he leaned down until he could feel Ariun's soft breath brushing against his lips, "Ariun-ya time to wake up."

He captured her lips in a kiss.

* * *

 _My hips bucked up against his as I mentally cursed our clothes as the need for friction grew. Law's lips were pressed against my sweet spot and driving me up a wall causing me to moan out, "Law..."_

 _He let out a husky chuckle in reply which sent heat straight towards my already dripping core. Law's mouth worked its way up my neck until he reached my jaw. He smirked down at me as he pressed me into the soft bed below us, "Ariun-ya it's_ time to wake up. _"_

 _Before I could question it, Law's lips were pressed against mine. Law's tongue brushed against my bottom lip asking for entrance which I denied._ A sharp pain from Law nipping my bottom lip forced me into the realm of wakefulness. As I gasped softly, Law's tongue entered my mouth and I let out a low moan as he once again prompted my tongue into battle. When Law released me, I opened my eyes slowly and saw him smirk at me. I wondered why he was smirking, but before I could voice my question, I caught the scent of food. Wondering if he had woken me up for dinner, I asked, "Is it time to eat?"

Law nodded with his smirk growing a little. Without warning, he picked me up and headed over to the couch where he sat me down in front of a tray full of food. A cup of tea sat on the tray and I could tell it was my favorite tea. Law sat down on the couch across from me and picked up the coffee mug sitting on the tray, "You aren't going to question why I was kissing you?"

"It was the best way to wake me up," I rationalized with a slight smile, "Have to say, it's a good way to wake up,"

I took a sip of my tea and hummed softly at the warm feeling it brought me before setting my cup down. I was eating a piece of grilled chicken when Law asked, "Have a nice dream?"

* * *

Law watched her almost choke on what was in her mouth before swallowing it harshly. She began blushing immediately causing him to feel immensely amused. She grabbed her drink and took a sip of it before asking, "W-what do you mean?"

"I wish to know if you were having a nice dream," Law watched as her eyes glazed of lightly and her cheeks darkening.

Law's curiosity grew as she shivered slightly and shook her head. She set her tea down and reached for her fork as she asked, "Why do you want to know?"

He casually reached for one of the rice balls sitting on his plate and replied, "Because you were moaning. It must have been a good dream."

Ariun's fork clattered against her plate as her eyes widened. With her cheeks reddening by the moment, she spluttered, "What?!"

As he took a bite of his riceball, Law enjoyed seeing her silently panic. The blush staining her cheek was beginning to spread making him iddly wonder just how far it would extend. He wondered just how much he could get her to blush as he fucked her into the mattress and just how loud he could get her to moan. He would admit that the sound of his name rolling of her tongue during a moan made his cock twitch. He wondered what she would do if he mentioned that. With a mental chuckle, Law swallowed his bite and said innocently, "Yes it must have been a good dream," He leaned back against his couch as he pretended to contemplate the rice ball in his hand, "You did moan my name after all. It's only natural that the dream was a good one," Law took another bite of his riceball before musing aloud, "Sleep talking is an interesting thing, isn't it?"

* * *

I gaped at Law as my blush deepened. I was talking in my sleep?! Please for the love of all that is good let that be the only thing he heard me say. I took a deep breath to calm myself and noticed the amusement radiating off Law. Had I really talked in my sleep or had he lied? My eyes narrowed before I decided to play it off, "Yes it is. I used to have a severe problem with it," I picked up my fork and resumed eating, "Quite honestly, I'm surprised that's all you heard."

"Oh really?" He asked with a raised eyebrow though I could see surprise in his eyes, "I did hear you say no when I tried to wake you up,"

My cheeks heated upon hearing that and my mind went to that particular part of the dream...

 _"Ariun-ya," Law stared down at me with half lidded eyes full of lust, "You should just give into me,"_

 _He had my hands pinned above my head against the pillow and ground his body against mine eliciting a groan from me, "N-no..."_

I shook my head to clear it of the memory and replied, "I can't really remember that."

 **End**


	58. Chapter 58

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

After Law let the subject drop, they ate dinner in peace. Bepo showed up just as they finished and beamed at Ariun once Law allowed him into the room, "Ari-chan! How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Ariun answered with a soft smile, "How are you Bepo?"

"I'm really good," Bepo walked over and picked up the trays from their dinner, "Everyone's really excited that you're going to be fully healed soon,"

"I am too," She looked slightly surprised, "Who told you about Maki's newly discovered ability?"

Law spoke before Bepo could, "Bepo-ya and Buck-ya were told when our dinner was dropped off," He looked at Bepo in amusement as the bear flushed slightly showing him who had told the rest of the crew, "Bepo-ya is a gossip when not told to keep something quite."

Ariun giggled as Bepo looked down and muttered, "Sorry."

"So cute," Ariun shook her head.

Law rolled his eyes and waved Bepo away, "Go do your duties Bepo-ya."

"Aye Captain," Bepo smiled at Ariun, "See ya later Ari-chan!"

"Bye Sweetie," Ariun waved at Bepo from her place on his couch.

Bepo left soon after and Law stood from his seat earning a curious look from Ariun. He headed over to his desk to pick Kikoku up, "Ariun-ya I have duties that I need to take care of. I'll be back in an hour or so to help you bathe," He turned his head to smirk at Ariun as he walked towards the door, "I do hope you tell me about your dream when I get back. I'm very curious."

He left with a chuckle as Ariun blushed.

* * *

I glanced up at the clock and noted that Law would be back soon. I groaned softly and leaned back against the couch I was sitting on. Why the hell did I have that dream? I had gotten laid not once but three times on the last island. I shouldn't be having dreams like that, yet I had one. Maybe it's because my lovers had been female? It was a possibility and was the probable thing considering that males were my prefered lays. I bit my lip as I wondered if the dream happened because I was surrounded by males all day. But if that was true, I could have dreamed of any of the guys. I mean Buck had my prefered body type when it came to guys. The muscles on that man! If I was looking for personality, Shachi and Penguin came to mind. When they weren't being perverts, the two were fun loving and eager to toss away the rules. And yet, I had that dream about Law. I had to admit Law had something about him that drew me in and made me forget what my prefered type of guys. I mentally groaned at those thoughts. What the hell was going on with me?

* * *

Law looked at Ariun as he entered the room and almost smirked upon seeing her biting her lip. It was clear to him that she was thinking deeply about something as she didn't even look towards him when he entered the room or set Kikoku down. He walked towards her and took her chin in his hand. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, she blinked and looked at him in surprise, "Law? When did you get here?"

After the question left her, he chuckled and replied, "A few minutes ago. You were deep in thought."

"Oh," She blinked before asking, "So is it time to bathe?"

He was slightly put off by the question, but shook it off as he picked her up.

* * *

Law set me down on the counter in the bathroom and walked over to the bathtub to begin filling it with water. I began unbuttoning my top and slid it off my shoulders as Law walked over to me. He took my shirt and tossed it into the bin before setting his hands on my waist. I shuddered slightly at the touch and Law smirked at me, "What were you thinking about?"

"Just an odd thought that crossed my mind," I hoped that Law would just brush it of.

"About what?" And my hopes died, "Your dream?"

"The type of guy I prefer," I put it bluntly earning a raised eyebrow from Law.

"The type of guy you prefer?" He repeated gaining a nod from me, "And what type of guy is that?"

I wondered why he was asking, but shoved that question aside. It was probably something to do with male pride or whatever. Shaking that thought off, I answered his question, "Guys with muscle like Buck are my prefered body type while guys with Shachi and Penguin's non-perverted personalities are the people I tend to enjoy being around."

I was surprised to see Law's jaw clenched and his eyes darken, "Oh so I'm not the type of guy you prefer?"

"Nope," Realizing what was most likely going through his mind, I added, "But something about you makes me forget those things,"

Why did I say that? I could have put it in a totally diffrent way like 'But you're hot enough that I don't care' or something like that, but no I had to blurt out that. Before I could mentally scold myself anymore, Law pulled me into a heated kiss. My fingers found their way into his hair as he pulled me up against him. When air became a need, I pulled away and Law began kiss along my jaw. He made his way down to my neck as I took a few deep breath only to gasp as he found my sweet spot. A low moan left me making Law chuckle against my neck. He nipped my sweet spot lightly before pulling away with a smirk, "Ariun-ya I'm glad to hear it."

* * *

Law smirked as Ariun blushed lightly, "Right...Shouldn't you grab the bag of my clothes?"

A chuckle left him, "I'll grab it after I get you undressed and in the bath."

She nodded lightly and he helped her finish getting undressed. After checking her injury, he picked her up and placed her into the tub which was still filling with water. He left her there as he walked back into his room to grab the bag of clothes. While doing so, he let his mind go over what Ariun had said. So something about him makes her forget the type of guys she likes? Well that sounded like Ariun was in love with him or starting to fall both of which means she had feelings for him. If so, it would make their game much easier to win. Only, Law smirked as he picked up the bag of clothes, Ariun wasn't going to leave his bed after he fucked her. No she was going to stay there.

* * *

I let out a small squeal as Law picked me up and glared at him as he stepped into the tub after stopping the water flow since it had almost filled up, "Can you not do that?"

"I would, but I rather like seeing you blush and squeal every time I do it," Law informed me as he took a seat in the water and set me down on his lap.

I was about to growl at him when I felt something poke my ass. I knew Law's hands were on my hips and his legs were stretched out under him leaving only his dick. My mind blanked slightly at the feeling and a shudder ran through me. My mind unfroze when one of his hands trailed over my stomach prompting me to lean back against him to get away from the feeling. I heard Law groan softly as my actions caused my ass to grind against him. He tightened his arms around me and pulled me flush against him as I muttered, "Please don't touch my stomach."

I felt more than heard Law chuckle as his lips brushed against my ear. I shivered as he nibbled on the sensitive shell. He spoke after a few moments of doing that, "Ariun-ya I thought you were passed not trusting me."

"I do trust you," I protest before shivering as his hand once again touched my stomach, "It feels odd for people to touch me there,"

He chuckled against as his fingers danced across the smooth flesh, "I see."

"Can we just get this bath over with?" I asked as Law kissed the skin just under my ear.

Law didn't reply as he kissed his way down my neck. I gasped softly as he nipped and sucked at my sweet spot. My eyes slid closed at the combined feeling of Law's hand on my stomach and his lips on my sweet spot. A low moan left me before I let out a started gasp when Law's other hand brushed against my core. I jerked slightly against him and Law spoke in a husky voice, "Ariun-ya do you really want me to stop?"

Law's fingers brushed tauntingly against my slit and my mind almost went blank. He nipped sharply at my sweet spot before licking it soothingly. The hand on my stomach moved upwards and cupped one of my breasts. My breath hitched at the combination of feelings even as part of my mind shouted that we shouldn't be doing this right now. With a deep breath, I forced myself out of the haze Law had put me in and said, "Yes."

Law immediatly stopped moving though his hands stayed where they were. He removed his mouth from my sweet spot and asked, "Why?"

"I'm injured," I reminded him, "Doing stuff like this while injured will only make recovering harder,"

* * *

Law mentally growled as the doctor in him reared up. Why the hell did she have to say that? Sighing slightly, he conceeded to her point, "Fine," He smirked as he slipped a finger inside of her earning a gasp of pleasure from her, "But once you're healed, I won't stop here."

He felt her walls tighten around his finger at those words and felt himself grow harder. Purposefully, he slid his finger out of her slowly and allowed the tip to brush against her clit which caused Ariun to jerk against him. Law smirked as she muttered under her breath, "Shit."

* * *

Law spent the entirety of the rest of my bath doing what he could to cause me to gasp or moan. By the end of it, I was so close to both slapping him and taking up his offer. I knew Law could tell because the bastard was smirking at me. I glowered at him while feeling slightly happy that he hadn't found _that_ spot yet. I shuddered at the thought of him finding _it_. Law thankfully didn't notice my shiver as he helped me dry off.

* * *

Law laid down next to Ariun after getting dressed and wondered why she had shivered when he was drying her off. He hadn't done anything to garner such a response from her. Pushing that thought out of his mind, Law pulled Ariun up against him and buried his face in her hair. If there was one thing he found himself enjoying about her, it was the scent of her hair after a shower. It was a rather interesting mixture of cherry blossoms and some other type of flower that he couldn't name. Ariun sighed softly against him and he moved slightly to find her eyes closer. He smirked upon seeing her asleep and felt happy that she could fall asleep so easily in his presence. If there was one thing he knew, it was that people didn't fall asleep that easily around people they didn't trust. Law closed his eyes and found himself slipping into unconsciousness.

 **End**


	59. Chapter 59

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

We were once again in theater one two days later and I was laid out on the cold metal table. Law called forth his room and started using scan before nodding to Maki, "Maki-ya begin."

Maki nodded and smiled at me as his features once more turned slightly demonic, "Close your eyes Storm."

Nodding, my eyes slipped closed and I tried to relax. It wasn't long until I felt the warmth that came with Maki using the ability. It was an uncomfortable feeling that reminded me too much of bleeding to find any comfort in it regardless of how much I enjoyed warm things. It was all I could do to keep from moving away from the sensation. The tiredness and hunger from the last time popped up though as it did the pain from my injury seemed to lessen as time went on. Law spoke after a while, "Maki-ya that's enough."

My eyes opened as the warmth vanished. I shivered as Maki helped me sit up, "Have I mentioned that you doing that feels uncomfortable?"

"How so?" Law asked as he moved closer to look over my injury.

"It reminds me of bleeding," I explained with a slight shudder, "Not a fun thing to be reminded of. It also feels uncomfortable because my chest feels cold once the warmths gone,"

Law nodded, "The results are the same with Callen-ya. How long does the chill last?"

"Last time it lasted until after we ate lunch," I answered as Law began taking out my stitches, "How long until I'm fully healed?"

"Another session and a day of rest should take care of it," Law replied making me smile, "You can start trying to walk after I get you bandaged up,"

I grinned upon hearing that making Maki snort, "Of course you'd be happy about that."

Offering Maki a wounded look, I said, "I hate not being able to walk around on my own. I don't like being carried remember."

Maki shook his head in amusement, "Yet you haven't complained about Captain carrying you around."

"Because he isn't an asshole that's going to drop me for shits and giggles unlike you," I shot back.

Maki gave me a mock offended look, "Kuro's the one that does that."

"And I like eating eel," Maki snorted since it was well known what I would do if someone tried to get me to eat that slimy stuff.

"What's wrong with eel?" Law asked as he finished removing my stitches and redid the bandages.

I shuddered at the mere thought of those things and mock gagged. Maki rolled his eyes at my childish act as he answered Law, "Storm hates them and has hated them since I've known her."

"It's just wrong to eat those things," Law offered me an amused look, "They're to me what bread is to you,"

At that, Law seemed to understand. Instead of continuing the conversation, Law handed me my shirt as Maki left to go see if lunch was ready. I pulled it on and redid the buttons on it. Law held out a hand for me to take, "We'll try walking now. If you're legs can't take most of your weight after ten minutes, we'll wait until tomorrow to try again."

I nodded as I took his hand and he helped me down from the table. My legs couldn't take my weight at all and Law was the only thing keeping me from face planting. Law hooked his arm around my waist and forced me to lean against him which let him take most of my weight. He moved out of theatre one with me trying to get my weakened legs to take my weight. It was slow going, but I somewhat managed to walk around. I looked at Law after the ten minutes were up and asked, "So is this good enough that I don't have to take baths anymore?"

"You don't like baths?" Law teasingly asked which brought the last few baths we took together to the forefront of my mind.

Law had taken every chance to get me to produce some sort of sound and last night had ended up with him teasing my nipples. I was so close to smacking him it wasn't even funny. Pushing those thoughts down, I glared at him as I hissed, "I liked baths, but not with you."

My reply caused Law to chuckle before actually answering my question, "Yes you don't have to take baths anymore. You'll still have to shower with me though," His voice gained a huskiness that made me shiver as he turned face me fully and wrapped his other arm around my waist, "And I intend to use that time _wisely_."

* * *

Law watched Ariun blush lightly as he purred out that last word and she shivered against him. He couldn't wait until they showered together. Not only would he gain an actual view of her front, he would also be able to tease her in ways he hadn't before. She would be getting a good view of him as well. He mentally chuckled as he thought of her reaction. Oh that was going to be fun.

* * *

"Ari-chan!" His crew grinned as he helped Ariun into the galley.

Shachi raced up and would have grabbed Ariun had it not been for the glare Law directed at him. Shachi paled slightly before laughing sheepishly and grinning at Ariun, "How ya feeling?"

"I've been better, but pretty good," Ariun smiled at Shachi, "What about you guys?"

Law had pulled Ariun over to their regular table after looking at Buck and nodding to the table. He settled Ariun into the chair next to him which was Shachi's regular chair. The ginger haired man didn't seem to mind as he went to get some lunch. Buck carried over two trays of food and drinks while giving Ariun a smile, "Glad to see you up Kitten. We've been worried about you."

Ariun's eyes softened as Law felt a sting of jealousy towards the other man. It was an irrational thing, but he still felt that sting because of Ariun's words two days ago...

 _Guys with muscle like Buck are my prefered body type..._

He also felt that sting of jealousy as Ariun spoke with Shachi and Penguin...

 _Guys with Shachi and Penguin's non-perverted personalities are the people I tend to enjoy being around._

He damn well knew that it was irrational since Ariun had told him that something about him made her forget that stuff, but still! He was a healthy guy going after her and he wasn't one of the type of people she prefered. He shoved that part of him down as he promised himself that Ariun would never leave his bed.

* * *

"What are you two doing?" Law stared at the two in surprise.

Ariun was sitting on the couch facing towards him with Bepo sitting in front of her. She looked up at him with amusement before holding up a brush, "Bepo wanted to be brushed and I offered. He's so soft."

Law looked at Bepo, "I thought I told you that I would brush you tomorrow."

"Sorry," Bepo looked down.

Ariun shook her head lightly, "You can't really blame him Law," Law looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "He had multiple knots and one part of his fur was matted. He really needed a good brushing."

Law supposed that was a good enough answer and nodded, "I see," Bepo was standing up and pulling his orange boiler suit back on, "Bepo-ya you are on night duty correct?"

"Yes Captain," Bepo looked at him curiously as he zipped up his boiler suit.

Law nodded to himself, "You wouldn't have been awake when I was able to brush you," He smiled at the bear, "I don't fault you for it. Go about your duties."

Bepo nodded and left the room with a smile. Law looked at Ariun as a thought occurred to him, "What about you?"

"What about me?" She looked at him curiously as she laid the brush on the coffee table.

"What about the fur in your leopard form?" Ariun hummed in reply.

"I haven't had my fur brushed in that form since the day before I met you," Law was slightly surprised by that, "I guess I just forgot about it though my fur shouldn't be in too bad of a shape since my hair is in good condition,"

Law wondered how that made sense before shaking it off as he placed Kikoku on his desk and smirked at Ariun, "Shall we go shower?"

* * *

I refrained from blushing as I grabbed the new bag of night clothes I had grabbed when Maki helped me down to my room earlier. Law walked over and helped me off the couch before I could even try getting up on my own. Law led the way into the bathroom and released my hand to open the shower door. I placed my bag on the counter and began unbuttoning my shirt as Law turned on the shower. I slipped my shirt off and tossed it into the laundry bin as Law turned back to me. He smirked and I rolled my eyes at him. Once I was undressed and he had looked over my injury again, he pushed me towards the shower. I was surprised when he closed the door behind me, but ignored it as I moved under the warm spray. A low groan left me as the water hit my hair and slipped down my back. I heard the door opening, but ignored it in favor of the heaven that was a shower. I turned my head to glare at Law as he pulled me against him, "What?"

He chuckled in amusement, "Ariun-ya you looked like you were going to collapse."

I snorted and pushed at him lightly, "Yeah right. Let's just get this over with."

I faced the spray of water once more and it wasn't long before Law began washing my hair. Once that was done and I had rinsed off my shampoo, he began washing my back. I bit my lip as he started washing lower and hopped to hell he didn't notice _it_. I felt him stop just above _it_ as he asked, "What's this?"

A shiver went through me as his fingers ran over starburst birthmark that rested in the dimple on the left side of my back, "A birthmark."

"An oddly shaped one," I tensed the longer his fingers touched it, "Something wrong?"

"No," I answered quickly.

I let out a soft gasp as he pressed lightly on it. My legs became weak and I began falling down. Law caught me quickly, "What the hell?"

Rather answer him, I closed my eyes and rested against him. After a few moments, I decided to answer his question, "A bundle of nerves rests just under that particular mark. A powerful bundle of nerves."

Law was quiet for a few seconds before chuckling, "So," I shuddered at the huskiness in his voice, "When were you planning on telling me about this particular secret?"

I struggled to figure out what to say because I had never intended to tell him about it. Mentally sighing, I said, "Never."

A low groan left me as Law's fingers found their way to my birthmark and lightly pressed against it, "I probably would have found it later."

"Probably," I agreed as my mind became slightly blank.

* * *

After Law decided to stop touching my birthmark, he finished washing my back, "Turn around."

I did so slowly and he smirked at me. I glared at him before finding my eyes looking at his chest. My eyes widened at the sight of his tattoos and without thinking, I reached out to trace one of the thick black lines that made up his tribal heart, "This must have taken forever," My mind went over just how much pain he went in since chest tattoos were supposed to hurt like hell, "How did you deal with the pain?"

"I just did," Law looked amused.

I ignored him for the moment as I traced the black lines, "Beautiful."

Law snorted and broke me from my slight trance by running the wash cloth against my collarbone. I removed my hand as Law ran the washcloth over my breasts though he was careful when it came to my injury. I glanced down at it as Law commented, "It's going to end up scaring."

"Another scar," I mused aloud, "My first in years,"

"Interesting," Law muttered.

I began raising my eyes to look at him when I stopped as my eyes locked on to his-"Fuck."

Law chuckled as my eyes shot up, "See something you like?"

I didn't bother replying as I mentally smacked myself. Did I really just do that? I mean it was on total accident, but still! I shook my head as I replied, "No comment."

"I'll take that as a yes," He resumed washing my front.

Soon enough, he was kneeling before me while washing my legs. My hands were on his shoulders both to keep my balance and to keep myself from falling over. I didn't want to admit it, but it was getting harder to stand. Law seemed to notice as he stood up. Before I could say anything, he pulled me into a kiss. Before I could get too lost in the kiss, I felt him wash between my legs. I pulled away only for him to pull me back again.

* * *

Law felt like cursing as Ariun's breasts were crushed against his chest and her body pressed against his as he distracted her with a kiss. As he washed between her legs, Law wanted to drop the washcloth so his fingers could bury themselves inside of her, but he didn't. As much as he wanted to, he knew that Ariun's body couldn't handle it at the moment. He could tell she was weakening as he helped her rinse off. Fuck the next few days were going to be torture.

 **End**


	60. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you're fully healed?" Shachi asked prompting me to look up at him from my sketchbook.

The sub was surfaced and Law decided to let me out onto the deck. I was curled up against a napping Bepo as Shachi and Penguin fished. Humming softly, I contemplated the question before answering, "I'm going to spend some time in my animal form."

"Really?" Penguin looked slightly surprised, "Why?"

"It's tradition I guess," I shrugged lightly, "I can't transform while injured like this, so the want to transform just builds up until I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't transform soon," I returned my attention to my sketchbook, "So when I can finally transform again, I stay in my animal form for a few days,"

Both looked at me in surprise before Shachi commented, "I never woulda thought that would happen."

I looked up at them in amusement, "Because I don't transform into my animal form often, right?"

"Yeah," They nodded.

I ran a hand through my hair, "Due to my background, I don't spend much time in my animal form. It's not that I don't want to, but it's an ingrained habit formed after years of dealing with hate."

"Damn," Shachi shook his head lightly, "You know something Ari-chan?" I looked at him curiously, "You can act like a normal person most of the time, but things like this pop up to remind us that you aren't. The fact you can function somewhat normally is amazing,"

I leaned back against Bepo and felt him shift slightly before relaxing. I smiled softly as I reached out to run my fingers over Bepo's soft fur as I said, "Sometimes it's hard to act like a normal person, but then again, what is normal?"

The two laugh and I shook my head lightly.

* * *

Law opened the door to the main deck and was greeted by laughter. He glanced around and found Ariun laying against Bepo. Shachi and Penguin were fishing for whatever reason. The duo of mechanics were the source of laughter prompting him to ask, "What are you two laughing at?"

Penguin and Shachi jumped while Ariun offered him an amused smile. So she had heard him approaching. Law smirked at her before directing his attention to the duo. Penguin recovered first, "Ari-chan said something funny."

"Not too funny as it was a slightly serious question," Ariun retorted with mirth in her eyes.

"Yeah right," Shachi snorted, "You asked 'what is normal?'. How exactly is that a serious question?"

Ariun rolled her eyes, "It is a serious question. Just what do people consider normal?"

Law chuckled before either of the mechanics could retort, "Ariun-ya normal isn't something you would find among pirates."

"Understatement of the century," This statement caused the other two to look at Ariun, "My caretakers were pirates remember. None of them were normal least of all the leader of them,"

"Then that means we have a good chance to meet them," Shachi said gaining a giggle from Ariun, "What's with the laugh?!"

Ariun shook her head lightly, "It is unlikely that we will be meeting them anytime soon. They're probably in the New World."

Law cut off Shachi and Penguin's reply to that statement, "Ariun-ya I need to check on your injury."

"Right," She closed her sketchbook as he walked over to her and placed it into her canvas bag.

He held out a hand for her and helped her up before pulling her back inside of the sub. He kept their hands linked as he did so because he honestly enjoyed the feeling. Ariun seemed slightly distracted prompting him to ask, "Something wrong?"

* * *

I blinked at the question before shaking my head, "No just thinking."

"About what?" Law looked at me curiously.

"About Shanks and the others," I sighed softly, "It's been years since I last saw them and I wonder if they even remember me,"

"If what you've told me about Redhair-ya is correct, he'll remember you," Law pulled me into the infirmary and directed me to sit down on one of the exam tables, "He doesn't seem to be the type of person to forget,"

I slipped my shirt off as I thought that over and took a seat on the exam table. Shanks wasn't the type to do that and I was an idiot to think that. I shook my head lightly, "You're right."

* * *

"Kitten where are you going?" Buck asked as I walked out of Law's room.

I almost jumped in surprise, but stopped myself. Taking a deep breath, I turned to glare at him, "You almost gave me a fucking heart attack."

"Sorry," He replied with a sheepish smile, "You didn't answer my question,"

I rolled my eyes, "I want to go stargaze. It's been awhile and we're surfaced for the night, so it's one of the best times to do it."

Before I could even begin walking down the hall towards the stairs, Buck stopped me by placing a hand on my shoulder, "Kitten you should be resting."

"Buck I've rested enough and I really need to get outside," I ducked under his hand and moved towards the stairs.

"Captain won't be happy," Buck argued only for me to shake my head.

I offered him a grin as I walked towards the stairs, "I'll deal with Law. I need this Buck."

I also needed to think without Law or anyone near me. I mean I'm alone in his room, but Law's the subject of my thoughts. Being in his room was only making my thoughts worse and worse, I had to get somewhere alone and the best place to do that was on the top deck. Without another word to Buck, I headed up the stairs.

* * *

Law was looking over the crews medical supplies when Buck entered the infirmary, "Buck-ya have you been injured?"

"No Captain," The man shook his head, "I came to find you,"

Law offered the chef a raised eyebrow after he wrote down the amount of pain medication they had, "And why did you need to find me?"

"The Kitten," The pen in Law's hand dropped.

"Did she reopen her wound?" Law demanded already figuring out what he would need to close the wound and how exactly it could have happened.

"No," Buck's voice stopped Law before he could begin grabbing what he would need, "The Kitten's fine for the most part,"

Law offered Buck a slight glare, "What do you mean for the most part?"

Buck winced at the glare and terse tone, "The Kitten walked out of your room and went up to the top deck to stargaze."

Law frowned as he hadn't told her that she could do that, "She should have stayed in my room as ordered to."

Setting his clipboard down, Law made his way over to where Kikoku sat against his deck and picked the nodachi up. Buck looked at him, "Captai-"

"Go do whatever you were doing. I'll deal with Ariun-ya," Law walked out of the infirmary.

* * *

The stars burned brightly as the waxing crescent moon floated above. I stared up at them with a sigh as calmness surrounded me. I breathed in the scent of the sea and relished in the cool night breeze ghosting across the waves. Ever since I had woken up after first being injured, Law had been acting off. Granted, I didn't mind it too much and really enjoyed the time I spent with him. Our interactions felt diffrent...like they had a deeper meaning to them, but why? It wasn't like anything had changed between us, right? I rolled my eyes at the thought. I'm probably reading into this too deeply. Our interactions felt diffrent because Law and I were closer now. I closed my eyes. Closer, but how much closer? I mean it wasn't as close as Maki and Kuro that was for sure. The duo were my idiotic brothers after all, but it felt like Law was almost as close just a diffrent type of close. I groaned softly and shook my head. It was probably the game between us that was causing these stupid thoughts. The game just needed to end and these thoughts would vanish. With that in mind, I opened my eyes just as I heard the door open. I glanced behind me and smiled, "Hey."

"Ariun-ya," Wow he looked kinda angry, "What the hell are you doing out here?"

I blinked at the question and wondered what was wrong with me coming out here, "I wanted to stargaze since it's been awhile."

"Ariun-ya you're still healing. You shouldn't be out here," I snorted softly.

"I'm fine Law," Law glared at me making me wonder if I had cut him off somehow, "I've just been laying here and nothing has happened,"

"How are you going to get up?" He retorted making me frown.

"What do you mean?" I'm pretty sure I could manage to get up on my own by now.

Law's glare increased, "Ariun-ya you're still injured and getting up on your own could cause further injury."

I felt the small strings of irritation start to appear as I retorted, "Could being the key word."

* * *

Is she really that much of an idiot? How the hell couldn't she see the problems with that statement? Law felt like shouting at her, but held himself back as he said calmly, "Could means it can happen-"

"But it might not," Ariun cut in making his frustration grow.

"Stop cutting me off," He hissed at her.

"Then stop overreacting," Overreacting?

Him? Oh that tore it. Law's patience was thin due to the increasing sexual frustration he felt, the fact Ariun had been attacked by Callen, finding out about Callen being a spy, and now Ariun was arguing with him. Feeling his patience snap, he growled out, "Fine. Get up on your own. Don't come back to my room tonight."

She looked at him in surprise, but he ignored it as he turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

I stared after Law as he walked away and tried to figure out what had happened. I mean sure I argued with him and I probably shouldn't have since he was my captain, it was nice out here. It had also been awhile since the last time I stargazed and tonight was perfect for stargazing. I shook my head and returned my gaze to the sky above me. I needed this moment alone and maybe a night alone in my room would do me some good. Nodding to myself, I focused on the stars above me and began remembering the stories attached to them.

* * *

Law returned to the infirmary as he decided to get his work done for the night. He needed the time to calm down before he would have to deal with Ariun again. It wasn't like Ariun wasn't going to return to his room since she needed his help showering and all that. Law picked up his clipboard after placing Kikoku against his desk and picked up his pen from the ground before returning to look over the medical supplies.

* * *

When I finally got enough of stargazing, I slowly sat up against the railing and reached up to pull myself up with the help of my tail. By using my tail and being careful, I didn't stress my injury. I walked over to the door and opened it before walking back inside. I closed it behind me and made my way down the stairs. I paused on the second floor before shaking my head and continuing down to where my room was on the floor below. I'll go see if Maki's still awake and willing to help me with my bandages after I shower.

 **End**


	61. Chapter 61

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law stared at the clock and found himself growing angry. It was closing in on 2 in the morning and there was no sign of Ariun. Growling inwardly, he stood from his desk and left his room. Ariun had probably fallen asleep stargazing like usual and like usual he would be bringing her down to her room. He walked up the stairs as a slight smile pulled at his lips. It was kind of cute in a way that she could fall asleep so easily just staring up at the stars. He reached the door to the top deck and opened it only to pause. Ariun wasn't passed out on the deck. Law moved out onto the deck and looked around before moving towards the edge. Had she fallen trying to get up? He looked over the edge only to see Shippo and Josh watching for enemies. Frowning to himself, he walked back inside as he wondered where she could be. Had she actually listened to him?

* * *

Law found himself standing in front of Ariun's door and was about to open it when he heard, "Ow! Fucking bastard."

He walked towards the source of the shout and found a slightly open door. It was Maki and Kuro's room. Law looked through the open door and found Maki redoing the bandage on Ariun's chest. Maki smiled sheepishly, "Sorry Storm. I'm not that good at bandaging chest wounds."

"It's fine," Ariun's eyes were closed, "It won't even matter come the day after tomorrow,"

Maki nodded as the bathroom door opened to reveal Kuro, "So Storm how come you wanted Maki to do it? I'm pretty sure Captain's going to be pissed with you."

"He actually told me not to come to his room tonight," Ariun replied making Law's eyes widen.

"And you listened?" Both looked at her in surprise.

Ariun nodded as her eyes opened, "Yeah. He seemed really pissed and I didn't want to worsen his attitude," She sighed softly, "Besides, I could use the time alone to think."

"Think?" What could she need to think about?

* * *

I rolled my eyes at the tone Kuro's voice had taken, "Not that kind of 'think' you idiot."

Kuro crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "Then what kind of 'think' do you mean?"

"The kind that a normal person does when they're seriously confused about what's going on," I ran a hand through my hair.

"Storm?" I turned my head to look at Maki with a raised eyebrow, "Do you like Captain?"

"Sure he's pretty cool and stuff," Kuro snorted.

"Not in the friend way you idiot," I glared at Kuro for calling me that.

"Don't call me an idiot you asshole," Kuro glared at me in return.

Kuro growled out, "If you didn't have a chest injury, I would kick your pale ass."

I snorted softly, "And when was the last time you did that?"

Kuro was silent making me smirk at him. He rolled his eyes as Maki snickered behind me, "She has you there Kuro," I grinned at Maki, "But seriously Storm, do you like Captain?"

Do I like Captain? "He's hot, but I-"

"What does he make you feel when you're around him?" Maki cut me off.

"I feel good around him," What the hell are they getting at? "I feel like all the bad stuff that happened to me in the past doesn't matter anymore. I feel..."

I couldn't put it into words, but I didn't need to as Kuro said, "He makes you feel safe."

"Yeah. I trust him," I nodded lightly, "I feel like I can be childish around him and I can act like my normal self,"

"What else?" Maki prompted as I fell silent.

I bit my lip in thought before answering, "I feel like we're somewhat the same. It's like he understands what happened to me and won't hold it against me...I feel like..." I trailed off as something started to click, "He won't run away," I brought my legs up to my chest, "He makes me feel warm..."

"Warm?" Both ask.

I nodded lightly, "On the last island, I was doubting that I belong on the crew and should have stayed on the island, but Law forced me to realized that I belonged here," I smiled slightly, "I feel warm everytime we touch even if it's for a small moment. I feel warm everytime he looks at me and smiles. I feel warm everytime I get him to laugh or smirk."

"Storm-" Kuro began only for Maki to shush him.

"Anything else?" Maki asked again only for me to shake my head, "How does he act around you?"

"I dunno," I ran a hand through my hair, "He smirks and chuckles at me a lot. He's always touching me in someway or pulling my attention to him even if he doesn't notice it," I giggle softly at that, "He let's me get away with stuff that he won't let anyone save for Bepo get away with. He likes watching me when he has a chance and talking to me,"

"You two talk a lot?" I nodded.

"Sometimes it's little stuff like what I think of certain things happening," I explained, "Or big stuff like my past,"

"Has he told you about his past?" Kuro asked looking curious.

"Some stuff, but not much," I shook my head lightly, "It doesn't matter too much. He'll tell me what he wants to tell me,"

* * *

Law thought over what he had told her so far and realized that he hadn't spoken much about his past other than his dealings with Joker. He felt slightly uncomfortable as he realized that. She didn't even know why he was going after Joker, but was willing to help him. He frowned to himself at that. Perhaps he should speak of his past with her, she would probably understand a lot of it.

* * *

"Alright what do you like to do around him?" Kuro asked the question this time.

I looked at him in surprise before thinking it over, "I like sitting with him regardless of what's happening. I like the silences we have and hearing him talk. I like leaning against him and reading. I like sparring with him. I like stargazing with him and telling him the stories I know," I smiled at those times, "I like hearing him chuckle and watching his mind work when he comes up with plans. I just like being around him."

Maki and Kuro were silent for a little while making me nervous. Maki ran a hand through his hair and muttered something under his breath while Kuro groaned. Kuro walked over to the bed and flopped down in front of me. I offered him a raised eyebrow while Maki shook his head. Kuro looked at me and muttered, "Of course this happens."

"Kuro?" I looked at him in confusion while Maki laughed softly, "Maki?"

"Kuro's just having one of his fits," My eyes narrow.

"Why the hell would he be having a big brother fit?" I asked gaining a snicker from Maki, "And why aren't you having one as well?"

I turned my head towards Maki and he smiled at me, "Because dear Ariun, I already figured out that this would happen."

"Figured out what?" Why the hell are these two acting like this.

* * *

Law stared at her as he tried to figure out how she was missing it. Ariun was many things, but an idiot she was not...He shook his head lightly. She was an idiot sometimes, but not much. So why was she not understanding this?

* * *

Kuro and Maki were silent for a while as they stared at me before Kuro groaned again. He picked himself up and muttered, "Idiotic little sisters."

"OI! I am not an idiot!" I growled at Kuro.

Kuro reached out and tugged one of my leopard ears. I hissed softly and reached up to pull his hand away. Maki snorted softly, "Childish the both of you."

"You are too!" Kuro and I shouted at Maki.

Maki shook his head, "I am not."

"Are too!" Kuro pointed at him.

"Am not," Maki replied calmly.

"Are too," I felt a smile slowly form on my face.

Maki smirked at me, "Am not."

"Are too," Kuro was snickering.

"We're actually doing that," I giggled gaining laughs from the two, "What are you two getting at?"

Kuro rolled his eyes and laid back against the bed, "You're in love with Law or at least falling in love."

"Love?" I spluttered out, "Me?"

"Yup," I turned to look at Maki.

"How the hell am I in love?" God damn it I was so confused.

* * *

Why was her voice filled with disbelief? She had to have fallen in love before or at least had a crush on someone. Law shook his head and decided to leave them alone. Ariun was in good hands even if she was confused. Law mentally chuckled as he walked away. Ariun looked cute when she was confused.

* * *

My eyebrow twitched as Maki and Kuro explained what they could. When they finished, I understood it somewhat before muttering, "Well this just made everything interesting."

"Interesting?" Maki looked at me with a slight frown, "What do you mean by that?"

Sighing softly, I lay back against the bed, "Law and I are currently playing a game. Whoever get's the other into bed and moaning their name first is the winner."

Kuro facepalmed, "Of course you would play that stupid game with Captain."

I glared at him, "Oh shut the hell up. As if you haven't done the same."

Kuro's mouth opened then closed before he shook his head. Maki rolled his eyes lightly, "So why exactly does falling in love with him make this interesting?"

"Sex is a meaningless way to get relief without feeling attached remember?" Maki frowned at me, "With feelings..."

"It makes it meaningful and..." Maki trailed off as he understood, "Shit,"

I nodded while Kuro looked between us in confusion, "What's wrong? So what if you like Captain and have sex with him?"

"Kuro he's the Captain. I can't fall in love with him," I groaned softly, "It's all kinds of wrong and not allowed,"

"Oh..." Kuro trailed off, "Well you're fucked,"

"Eyup," I covered my face with my hand, "What the hell am I going to do?"

"What was your whole plan before you figured out that you were in love with him?" Maki asked.

"Sleep with him and everything would go away," I bit my lip, "I'm still going to sleep with him,"

Kuro sat up and looked at me in surprise, "Seriously?"

I nodded with a soft sigh, "Yes. Law wants to though I'm still going to make it hard for him to do that."

"And then what?" Maki asked with a frown, "What will happen after you do?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "I'll just ignore my feelings I guess,"

Kuro groaned softly, "Storm that isn't a good plan. You'll only end up hurt."

"Pirates aren't exactly monogamous remember," I lifted my hand up off my face and stared at the ceiling, "Law would never fall in love with me. If anything, he'll only see me as a friend or subordinate,"

"This is a crappy situation," Maki muttered.

"Yay back to crappiness," I fake cheered.

* * *

Law smirked as he got ready for bed. Now that he knew Ariun was in love with him, he would easily win the game and have her in his bed from now on. He just had to wait until after she was fully healed. He would have to apologize to her fairly soon about what happened on the top deck, but he was kind of glad for it. It helped Ariun realize her feelings for him. Law laid back and closed his eyes. Yes everything was going well for him.

 **End**


	62. Chapter 62

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I let out a low groan as I slowly came to and frowned slightly upon not scenting Law's scent around me. My mind went over what happened last night and I sighed deeply. Oh yeah I pissed Law off enough to not want me near him last night. Mentally shaking my head, I glanced around myself. Maki was currently acting as my pillow whereas Kuro was using my legs as his. With a roll of my eyes, I got up and yawned softly as I left their room to go to mine. I had just finished changing into my regular clothes when Maki walked in carrying supplies. Rolling my eyes at him, I asked, "Ever heard of knocking?"

"It's you. I don't need to knock," He smiled at me, "Let's get those bandages changed,"

"Joy," I took off my shirt and Maki went to work.

It was silent between us for awhile before Maki asked, "Still sticking to that horrible plan?"

I sighed softly at the question, "Do I have any other choice?"

"Nope," Maki shook his head, "Maybe it's just a crush or something," I snorted softly causing Maki to laugh sheepishly, "Right not exactly helping,"

"I'll just deal with it," I closed my eyes, "You know that none of us expected to live like this or join a crew like this. I'll take what I can get,"

Maki sighed as he already knew I wouldn't budge, "You know we'll always have your back."

I nodded as my stomach growled, "Finish up and we'll go get breakfast."

Maki snickered and complied.

* * *

Law walked into the galley in a slightly bad mood. He had grown to enjoy waking up to Ariun's slightly cool body pressed up against his and her scent being the first thing he smelt in the morning. It made him all the more determined to get Ariun back into his bed and never let her leave again. He found Ariun sitting in her usual seat next to Maki and Penguin. Shachi and Bepo looked at him as he walked up behind her after grabbing his breakfast. Ariun didn't seem to notice as she laughed at whatever the penguin hatted man had said. She shook her head and replied, "You really thought that?"

"Well yeah," Penguin blushed slightly.

"Well it's not like that at all," Ariun giggled as Maki and Kuro snorted, "They're my brothers nothing more, nothing less,"

Law spoke before Penguin could reply, "And what exactly are you talking about Ariun-ya?"

Ariun turned her head to look at him with wide eyes making him wonder if she hadn't heard him approach. The question she asked confirmed his thoughts, "When the hell did you get here?"

"A few moments ago," He replied with a smirk as his bad mood diminished, "You didn't answer my question,"

Ariun stared at him for a few seconds before answering, "Penguin thought I was sleeping with Maki and Kuro because he saw me leave their room this morning."

"Ari-chan!" Penguin blushed while Law chuckled, "You-"

"Did you want me to lie to our _captain_ Pen?" Ariun asked teasingly.

Law enjoyed the mischievousness that swirled in her eyes as she looked over Penguin and realized Ariun was playing some kind of game. Penguin paled and shook his head rapidly, "No!" He turned to Law, "Captain I didn-I-Forgive me!"

Law chuckled as he decided to play along with Ariun's little game, "Penguin-ya one would think you haven't been fully truthful to me."

"WHAT?! I-no I have-I jus-" Penguin stuttered.

Ariun looked like the cat that got the canary, "Oh? Do I hear a little admittance in that stammer Pen? Have you lied to our captain before?"

Law knew she was saying it teasingly, but he realized that he hated hearing her call him that. It just didn't sound right coming from her. Law allowed Ariun to tease Penguin a little more as he took his seat. After a few minutes, Law cut off Penguin, "Penguin-ya Ariun was just teasing."

Penguin stilled before actually pouting at Ariun, "Ari-chan that was mean!"

Ariun shrugged her shoulders with a smirk, "Don't let your imagination get away with you then."

Law shook his head at how childish his crew was and focused on his breakfast.

* * *

I followed Law out of the galley at his request feeling slightly nervous. I wondered if he was still angry with me about last night. If he was, I would apologize since it was quite clear that he was stressed and I shouldn't have argued with him even if it had led to many revelations last night. My cheeks warmed at the thought of what I had realized last night and I still couldn't believe that I had fallen for Law of all people. I shook myself and decided to focus on where Law was taking me. He led the way into the infirmary and waved a hand to one of the exam tables, "Sit down. I want to check over your injury."

I did as he asked without protesting and took off my shirt. Law made his way over as I said, "Maki replaced the bandages before we headed up to breakfast."

Law nodded with a slight smirk, "I can tell. Maki-ya doesn't really know how to bandage chests does he?"

"Nope," I rolled my eyes, "The man's a prodigy, but when it comes to bandaging people's chests, he fails,"

Law undid the bandages and looked over my chest after removing the gauze Maki used, "Even prodigies fail at something. How are you feeling?"

He was lightly prodding at the skin around my slowly shrinking injury with a gloved hand, "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. It's like a bug bite or something."

"Good that means most of the damage is gone and I was correct in my assessment that tomorrow will be the last session you need," Law once again opened up a jar of some kind and put some kind of salve over my injury, "You actually listened to my order last night,"

Offering him a sheepish smile, I ran a hand through my hair, "I shouldn't have argued with you. You were stressed out and I just made it worse, so I thought it would be best to just listen to you. I'm really sorry about that."

"Why did you want to stargaze last night?" He asked as he replaced the gauze on my chest.

I hesitated for a moment before admitting, "I needed to think and being outside helped me do that."

"Think?" He offered me a raised eyebrow as he began rebandaging my chest.

I wouldn't tell him about my feelings. He would only laugh at me or something. Instead, I murmured, "Life is very diffrent now that we're off the island. It seems like only just yesterday I was waking up in my crappy apartment after dragging Kuro home from the bar. The sheer fact that I actually have a chance to go up against _him_ is hard to wrap my mind around."

* * *

Law was slightly surprised that Ariun wasn't going to tell him about her feelings. It was something he thought women did anytime they realized they loved someone; Then again, Ariun wasn't just any woman. He wondered what it would take to get her to tell him her feelings. It would take awhile, but he was sure it would happen eventually. With that in mind, he nodded at Ariun's well crafted lie though he wondered if that's one of the reasons she stargazed as often as possible, "I do not fault you for that and I will admit that I am a little stressed out."

Ariun snorted and offered him a look that said she didn't believe him, "A little? Law you're really stressed. You aren't the kind of man to explode like that. You have to be under a lot of stress for that to happen."

True as that was, Law found himself jumping on the chance to tease her, "You're watching me Ariun-ya?"

Ariun blushed slightly and defended herself, "You're too interesting a person to not watch."

"Do you watch me often?" He had finished redoing her bandages and took of his gloves before setting his hands on either side of her hips, "If so, I'm flattered,"

Ariun was quick to retort with, "I'm watching you to find your weaknesses. Once I do that, I'll win our little game."

Law chuckled and watched as she shuddered lightly, "Ariun-ya it's funny that you still believe that you'll win our little game," He leaned forward as he moved his hands from beside her hips to cup her ass and pulled her towards him as she squeaked, "I'm going to win. I already have you in my bed. I just need to get you to moan my name as I make you cum."

Ariun's hands were on his chest as if to push him away, but he ignored them as he leaned down to kiss her. She turned her head at the last moment and he found himself kissing her cheek. Smirking, he licked one of her whisker-scars and felt her shudder against him. He dragged his tongue across the sensitive scar before licking her lips lightly. He pressed his lips against hers though he was surprised to feel her tongue glide over the seam between his lips. In his surprise, he opened his mouth and found her engaging his tongue into a dance. He found himself growing hard at the fact she had taken the reigns of the kiss and pulled her closer to him. She pulled away much too quickly for his liking and smirked up at him, "You may have me in your bed, but I will be winning our game."

He was about to retort when a knock sounded on the door. He reluctantly moved away from Ariun as the door opened and Kuro stuck his head in, "Captain. We need you in the training room."

"I'll be right there," Kuro nodded and left.

Law turned back to Ariun and found her standing behind him while buttoning up the last buttons of her coal colored shirt much to his surprise. She finished as he asked, "How did you do that so quickly?"

"Practice," She walked towards the door, "I suggest hurrying. Kuro doesn't really know how to control his strength,"

"Where are you going?" He followed after her.

"To my room," She replied as they left the infirmary, "Where else would I go?"

"My room," He replied gaining a raised eyebrow from her, "I want you to go to my room,"

Ariun paused and looked at him in surprise, "Why?"

Law smirked at her as he walked over to his room and opened the door, "You're still healing and I remember saying that you will stay in my room for the duration of that time unless told otherwise. Now go."

* * *

"Damn," I muttered as I walked towards his room, "I thought you had forgotten about that,"

Law chuckled showing that he had heard and I walked passed him into the room. Before I could walk too far, I found myself pressed up against the wall beside the door with Law pressed up against me. He kissed me in a way that caused my entire body to heat up. When he pulled away, I gasped softly only to moan as Law's lips found my sweet spot. He nipped and sucked at it causing pleasure to run right down to my core. I arched against him and gasped at the feeling of him against him. He pulled away with one last kiss to my sweet spot and smirked at me, "I am going to win our little game," He ground himself against my core and I gasped softly, "And I'm going to enjoy myself making you come undone as I fuck you into the mattress," He moved away from me and walked over to his desk to grab his nodachi, "Make no mistake, I will be the winner."

He left without another word and closed the door behind him.

 **End**


	63. Chapter 63

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law stared at the scene before him with a twitching eyebrow, "How exactly did this happen?"

"Uh..." Kuro laughed sheepishly, "I might've gone a bit overboard,"

Maki rolled his eyes from where he was tending to a downed Shippo, "A bit? You either knocked out or at least floored most of these guys."

"Why exactly were you sparing?" Law asked feeling the telltale ache that signaled the beginning of a headache and a bad one at that.

"I wanted to see where they all stood," Kuro tugged on the end of his braid with a sheepish smile, "And I ended up getting excited,"

"And when the idiot get's excited, he forgets his own strength," Kuro turned to pout at Maki.

"Ki! So mean!" The large man whined.

Law mentally rolled his eyes at the childishness being displayed. It reminded him of Ariun when she was acting childish only she was actually kind of cute. Law shoved those thoughts down as he began tending to the downed men. Kaze gave Law a smirk as he walked over to Josh leading Law to believe that the teenager had a hand in this mess. Law mentally shook his head at the childishness of his crew.

* * *

I leaned back against the couch as my fingers touched the spot on my neck where Law had kissed it. I knew damn good and well that he had left a mark there. The thought of it caused a shiver to go down my spine and something inside of me to warm up. My head touched the couch and I breathed out through my nose. If things continued the way they were, Law was going to win the game. I wouldn't have minded too much before, but something's changed. I needed to win the game since that's the only way Law would want to keep me in his bed. If I was reading the situation right, Law hated losing. Since Law hated losing, he would most likely instigate another round of the game to try and win. Only problem is, how do I win the game? My mind went to what happened in the infirmary and a smirk wove its way onto my face. If I took control, Law would lose the game since he obviously liked it when I took control of our kiss, "Oh yes, I think that will work just fine."

* * *

I was drawing in the sketchbook that I had left in here when Law walked in. I glanced up at him and noted the look on his face before smirking. Law's eyes narrowed at me, "You knew this would happen."

"Yup," Law set Kikoku down against his desk, "Kuro doesn't really know how to control his strength when he get's excited and I knew from the tone of his voice that he had been excited," I ran a hand through my hair, "It's one of the ways that we're the same. Only I get carried away when I'm excited while Kuro just forgets how to control his strength,"

"You can tell just by the tone of his voice?" Law looked at me in surprise as he walked over.

"When you spend years around someone, you tend to pick up on their tells," I explained as he took a seat on the couch across from me, "Once you pick up on their tells, you can figure out when they're pissed, excited, happy, and all. With Kuro, the most basic tell is in his voice. You can tell when he's nervous or angry just by listening to the tone he uses. With Maki, the most basic tell is his eyes. When he's angry, his eyes tend to gain a red tint. When he's happy, his eyes become half-lidded like he's about to fall asleep,"

Law picked up one of his medical journals that he had laying on the coffee table as he considered what I told him. After a few moments, he asked, "How long does it take for you to pick up on someone's 'tells'?"

"Depends on the person and how close I get to them," I picked up my sketchbook once again, "It also depends on how much time I spend with them,"

"What if it's someone you just see in the street?" Law's eyes lightened showing me that he was curious.

I frowned slightly, "If it's someone I just see in the street, I would have to talk to them for a few minutes to get a basis on what kind of person they outwardly appear as. Once I do that, I can start figuring out a person's basic tell."

"Are there any common tells?" Law set the book down next to him.

"Eyes are the most common," I opened my sketchbook, "When someone lies, they tend to look either to the left or to the right. If they're feeling a negative emotion, their eye color darkens while the opposite occurs when they're happy,"

Law was quiet for a few minutes which allowed me to focus on my current sketch. He finally spoke after a few moments, "When did you start developing this skill of yours?"

"A little after I was sold to the scientist," I set my pencil down and shut my sketchbook, "It was a needed skill since it told me if he was going to be particularly brutal when he came to experiment on me," A shudder ran through me, "If he was, I would make myself go unconscious which helped me escape actually feeling a majority of what he did to me," I shook my head to stop the memories of that time from rearing up, "Can we please stop talking about this?"

Law nodded with a slight frown as he picked up his discarded book, "Of course, I didn't know it would bother you."

"I'm going to take a nap," I got up and walked over to the bed before laying down facing away from Law.

* * *

Law frowned as Ariun laid down and inwardly cursed. Just how many skills did she develop while with that depraved bastard?

* * *

"Captain?" Maki walked into his office, "You called?"

"Sit down," Law gestured to the chair across from him.

Maki did as he bid and asked, "So what's this about?"

"What skills did Ariun-ya develop while with the scientist?" Law cut right to the point.

Maki stared at him for a long while before sighing, "Which skill did you find out about?"

"Her ability to pick up a person's tells," Law informed him with a slight frown, "Maki-ya?"

Maki leaned back against the chair, "I guess that makes this easier. Let me guess, she decided to take a nap after you asked how she developed it?"

Law's eyes narrowed, "You did as well?"

The silver haired man nodded, "Back when Ariun first escaped, I wondered why she could figure out when people were angry, so I asked her. She ended up avoiding me for three days after telling me about it."

"Will she do that to me?" Law disliked the prospect.

A shrug was his answer, "You can never tell how Storm will act when it comes to stuff like this. While it's a possibility, I doubt she'll do that, but keep an eye out for it. She'll probably be quiet for awhile and seem lost in thought. Sometimes it sticks for a few days or sometimes it sticks for a few weeks."

Immediately, Law disliked that prospect, "Is there anyway to speed it up?"

The amused look Maki gave him in reply irritated Law, "Nope."

* * *

I was reading when Law walked into his room, "Ariun-ya come here."

He stood by the door as I put my book down after marking the page. I slowly stood up and walked over to him. He grabbed my hand and tugged me out of his room. I was curious about where we were going, but decided not to comment. As with every time certain parts of my past got brought up, I felt too tired to speak or argue. Law pulled me through the sub and up to the top deck. I looked at him curiously before noticing the fact that it was sunset. Without much thought, I walked towards the railing as Law's hand let me go. I perched up on the railing and watched as the sun slowly sank into the ocean dyeing it dark orange, red, purple, and blue. I faintly heard someone down below mutter, "What's Ari-chan doing out here?"

I ignored them as my eyes stayed locked onto the beautiful scene. I was slightly startled when arms wrapped around my waist, "Ariun-ya you need to tell me about what topics make you uncomfortable and why. I dislike it when you suddenly turn cold or bitter because something is mentioned."

Shock ran through me, but I pushed it down as I murmured tiredly, "Talking about certain aspects of my past make tired. Please leave my past be until it comes up."

"Will you warn me if it does?" He asked gaining a nod from me, "Good,"

"Why bring me out here?" I looked away from the setting sun.

My eyes widened slightly at seeing the way the fading sunlight ran across his face. It caused his grey eyes to become lighter making them appear almost blue in appearance. The black of his hair gained a slight blue tint to it that reminded me of a raven's wing. Law speaking prompted me to refocus, "Maki-ya mentioned that looking at the sky helped you center yourself."

I blushed faintly and mentally promised to hit the silver haired meddler later, "It's really just the colors that help me."

"Colors?" Law looked down at me.

I turned my head to look back at sunset while trying to ignore the blush staining my cheeks, "They remind me that there's more to the world than shades of white, black, and grey. Sunsets and sunrises are my favorite times of the day even if I don't get up early enough to see a sunrise most of the time."

I fell silent and Law didn't comment anymore which left us in silence. Without really noticing it, I leaned back against Law as my eyes took in the colors of the sunset and ideas for new drawings came to mind. Law's arms tightened around me for a few moments before relaxing. When the sun had finally set and dinner was being called, I moved away from Law and he released my waist before moving back to give me room. once my feet were solidly on the deck, I walked over to Law and wrapped my arms around his neck to hoist myself up enough to press a kiss to his lips. I pulled back before it could get heated and left the top deck.

* * *

Law stared after Ariun before shaking his head and following her with a small smile. It seemed that whenever they talked about her past and were on the top deck, she would instigate a chaste kiss. It was somewhat amusing, yet also somewhat annoying. He recalled the kiss they shared in the infirmary and wished she would take action more often.

* * *

As Law slipped into bed with Ariun, he was surprised when she pressed a kiss to his lips. She once again licked at the seam between his lips and explored his mouth before he pushed his tongue into her to do the same. He let out a low groan as she tugged at his hair and felt himself grow hard. He was surprised when her fingers ran over his clothed erection and he broke the kiss to hiss. She smirked at him as she laid back, "Good night."

He stared at her before a smirk tugged at his lips. She was going to play it that way, was she? Well he would give as good as he got.

 **End**


	64. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

I followed Law into the infirmary for hopefully the last time in a while and Maki smiled at me, "Ready for this Storm?"

"Yes," We walked into theatre one and I took a seat on the metal table.

"This shouldn't take longer than ten to fifteen minutes," Law informed us as I took my shirt off.

Bandages were undone, I was laid back, and Law activated his room. Maki began using his powers the moment Law gave the all clear and I struggled to keep myself still. The excitement of no longer being in pain from my injury was running through me. Maki rolled his eyes, "Calm down Storm."

I pouted at him before taking a deep breath to calm myself.

* * *

Law smirked at Ariun as she tugged on her shirt once more, "Fully healed Ariun-ya."

She looked at him and smiled, "Yup."

Maki had left to go take a nap which left them alone in the infirmary. He ran his fingers over her clothed thighs and watched as Ariun's eyes darken a little, "Ready to finish our game?"

Ariun slid off the table which put her chest to stomach with him. She smirked up at him as he was forced to move back a little, "I believe our game will have to wait."

"Why's that?" He was both amused and annoyed.

"Because I need to go take a nap," She moved away from him and was out of the door in seconds.

Law stared after her in surprise before chuckling. Even if she put it off, he was going to win their little game.

* * *

Rather than take a nap like I said that I would, I decided to take a shower. The first one I had taken alone since I had gotten hurt. Once that was done, I curled up on my bed and fell asleep as a wave of tiredness hit me.

* * *

When I woke up, I headed upstairs and found that it was almost lunch time. Buck grinned at me, "How ya feeling Kitten?"

"Pretty good," I grinned up at the man, "What's for lunch?"

"Sea king stew with a side of bread, rice balls, or fruit salad," I hummed softly.

"Need any help?" Buck shook his head.

"Nah we're almost finished, but you can help with dinner if Captain's given you the all clear," Buck looked at me curiously, "Did he?"

I bit my lip before shaking my head, "Not officially, I just want something to do."

Buck laughed for a few minutes, "Sorry Darlin'. I can't help ya find anything to do since Captain hasn't given you the all clear."

Sighing softly, I asked, "How long until lunch?"

"Ten minutes," Buck gained a contemplative look, "I think I might actually have a job you can do,"

I looked at him curiously, "Oh?"

"Go tell everyone it's lunch time," Buck replied.

* * *

Law walked into the galley and found everyone eating lunch. Bepo, Ariun, and Maki were the sole exceptions to this prompting him to ask, "Where are Bepo-ya, Ariun-ya, and Maki-ya?"

"They already finished eating," Shachi explained with a slight grin, "Maki went to go finish his nap while Ari-chan decided to go sit in the navigation room with Bepo,"

* * *

Law found Ariun in her animal form staring at the window while Bepo sat at the nearby table. Bepo beamed at him, "Hey Captain! We're making really good time. We should be at the next island in three days."

Ariun looked away from the windows to look at Law. She blinked at him before snorted softly and looking back at the window. He nodded to Bepo, "Good. Inform me if there are any changes."

"Aye Captain!" Bepo returned to looking at the maps on the table.

Law walked over to where Ariun was lying on the floor and commented, "I'm surprised you decided to come up here."

"It's less noisy and I like watching the fish swim by," Ariun didn't even look up at him.

Law frowned slightly at the lack of attention she was showing him, "Ariun-ya is something wrong?"

"No," She looked up at him, "Why?"

He was slightly surprised by the question, but pushed that surprise away, "You seem distracted."

Ariun snorted softly, "I just find looking at the sea life interesting."

"More interesting than me?" He questioned earning a soft chuffing sound from her that he knew to be laughter.

She nodded, "It's ever changing while you are not. Of course, it's more interesting than you."

Law felt vaguely annoyed and wondered if that was some sort of insult. He decided that it probably was, but ignored it as he inquired, "Why are you in your animal form?"

* * *

I was slightly surprised that Law didn't question the insult, but shook it off, "I felt the need to transform as I always do after getting injured enough that I couldn't transform freely. I'm probably going to stay like this for a few days."

Law stared at me in surprise, "A few days? Why?"

I gave the best leopard shrug I could, "It's just something that happens. I won't transform back until the ache goes away."

"Ache?" He frowned slightly, "What kind of ache?"

I felt slightly lost as no one had asked that question before. Struggling for a few minutes, I finally came up with the best answer I could, "It's kind of like an itch that needs scratched and it get's worse the longer it's left alone."

Law was silent for a few moments before sighing, "Will you transform back at any point or will you be like this for the rest of the few days?"

"I will transform back to bathe, but that's about it," My tail swished lightly causing the rings on it to chime, "Sorry about this,"

* * *

Law looked at Ariun as she trotted down the hall, "Where are you going?"

It was an hour after sunset and the crew had just finished eating dinner. It was odd at first to see Ariun eat in that form, but it became easily ignored. Ariun looked at him curiously, "Down to Maki and Kuro's room."

"Why?" Law felt faintly irritated since it was like Ariun was using this as an excuse to ignore him.

"Because I doubt you want me sleeping in bed with you when I'm like this," The fact that she honestly believed that radiated through her voice.

"I don't mind actually," She looked at him in surprise before doing that odd leopard-like shrug.

"Okay," Ariun started walking towards his room.

Law shook his head and followed after her.

* * *

I settled down on the couch next to Law and laid my head on his lap. He lifted his book up and looked at me curiously, "What are you doing?"

"What I usually do when I'm in this form," I snorted softly as I felt his hand settle on my neck, "I sleep a lot more when I'm in this form unless I need to be up,"

Law nodded slightly and I closed my eyes. I was slightly surprised when he began running his fingers through my fur, but decided to enjoy it.

* * *

Ariun jumped onto the bed after he had laid down and curled up next to him with her head on his chest. He involuntarily shivered at the feeling of her fur touching his bare chest. It was soft, yet coarse like Bepo's was when he needed a good brushing making him promise himself to brush out her fur at some point tomorrow. He reached up and lightly scratched behind her ears gaining a loud rumbling purr from her. He chuckled softly and commented, "You enjoy having your ears scratched don't you?"

"Yes," Her voice was slightly raspy leading him to believe that she was close to falling asleep.

Law was surprised by the truthful answer prompting him to ask, "Why are you being so blunt?"

"My animal instincts find dancing around the subject to be annoying and useless," Ariun's voice had a low rumble to it, "Due to this, I am rather blunt while in this form,"

Law found himself smiling, "Do you lie when you're in this form?"

"Not usually unless I find a reason to," She cracked open an eye and looked at him, "Is there something you wish to ask?"

"Do you having feelings for me?" He felt her tense lightly before sighing.

"Perhaps, I am unsure as to what they truly mean," She closed her eyes, "Please do not ask anymore,"

Law stayed quiet as he thought over the information she had just given him. He knew that he was in love or at least what felt like love to him; however, Ariun wasn't sure. Considering her past, he figured that she wouldn't really know what love is. It was probably why she had been acting the way she did which was both cute and annoying. He would have to take things slow with her and help her understand the what she was feeling, but in the end, she would be in his bed. He also theorized that she probably thought that she had to win the game to keep him interested in her which was why she had been so bold lately. He decided that he rather liked that side of her and would find ways to draw it out in the future, but he was going to win the game. It was unavoidable and he would make Ariun see it.

* * *

I groaned softly as I felt movement under me and opened my eyes to glare at the source of movement. Law returned the glare with one of his own, "Ariun-ya get off me. You're heavy."

I snorted in reply, "I'm not ready to get up yet."

Law's glare darkened, "I need to get up."

I slowly came to realize that Law wasn't going back to sleep and snorted softly. Yawning, I slowly got up and made sure to put pressure on certain parts of his body before using his chest as a springboard to jump off the bed. I landed on the carpeted floor and stretched out before looking at Law with a slight smirk. He glared at me as he rubbed at his chest and I let out a rumbling laugh, "Don't look at me like that, I'm not the one that wanted to get up."

"You could have just moved," He growled out as he sat up.

I inwardly winced at seeing the small look of pain on his face and regretted where one of my back paws put pressure. Offering him the best sheepish look I could, I apologized, "Sorry. I don't like getting up before I'm ready."

"I can tell," He snapped.

I walked over to him and butted my head lightly against his stomach. I looked up at him as I laid my head in his lap, "I'm really sorry."

He rolled his eyes as his fingers tug at my ears earning a soft hiss from me.

* * *

"Ariun-ya come here," He pointed to the spot in front of him.

She walked over and took a seat, "What's up?"

"Turn around," She slowly stood up and turned until her back was facing him before sitting down.

"What's goin-" He began running the brush he had through her fur.

She let out a low purring sound that caused him to smirk. The brush caught on some tangles, but they were easily dealt with. By the time he was finished brushing her, Ariun was laying on the floor with what could only be a leopard's grin on her face. Law chuckled and ran his fingers over the fur on her stomach earning a shiver.

* * *

Law wondered where Ariun had gotten off to when a slightly damp looking snow leopard walked into his office. He stared at the tail that slowly released the door handle and commented, "You can open doors with your tail?"

"Yeah it's a useful skill I picked up ages ago," She kicked the door lightly with her back paw.

"Did you take a shower?" He asked as she jumped up on the small couch he had in his office.

"Yup," He was slightly disappointed that she hadn't taken a shower with him.

 **End**


	65. Chapter 65

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

* * *

"So it's time to deal with Callen?" I asked as Law led the way down to the brig.

Law had ordered me to follow him a little after breakfast and I had quickly come to the realization that it was time to deal with the green haired spy. Law glanced back at me as my paws ghosted soundlessly across the metal floor next to him, "Yes. He's outlived his usefulness."

My tail twitched slightly at those words as a memory tried to force its way into the forefront of my mind, but I pushed it down as we reached the second to last level of the sub. I noticed that it was actually colder down here than the rest of the sub prompting me to comment, "The temperature here is on the cold side which is odd considering the fact that the engines are on the floor below us."

"Due to the fact that we do not use this level for much, the heating system for this level is not used," We walked down the slightly dim hallway, "It saves us on power and fuel,"

"Smart," I commented as Law stopped in front of a darkened steel door.

Law smirked down at me before opening the door and gesturing for me to walk inside. I did so and he followed after as I took in the room. Three plain cells that reminded me of the holding cells back on my home island. It was obvious from the small amount of dust one two of the three cells that this area wasn't used often. My nose twitched as Law led the way towards the cell on the far end. The scent of blood came from that cell and grew stronger as we approached. Once we reached the cell, I found my eyes widening slightly. Callen was chained against the wall with his head lulled slightly to the side, but he jerked lightly as we settled in front of the cell. He was covered in open wounds and bruises. I could smell the infection in them from here. My eyes caught sight of the broken leg and the fact that his fingers were mostly broken. The ones that weren't broken were not where they were supposed to be. All in all, the sight was gruesome, but I felt no pity for the bastard. My attention was taken from Callen by Law speaking, "Ariun-ya his life is in your hands."

Law's voice made Callen jerk and the green haired man's pupiless orange eyes focused on us only to narrow into a glare, "Finally healed bitch? Coming to gloat?"

* * *

Law glared at the man and was about to speak when Ariun snorted. He glanced down at her and found staring at Callen in what could only be described as boredom. When she spoke, Law found a smirk appearing on his face, "Why would I come gloat? Gloating at a deadman is useless and a waste of energy. Besides, I find speaking to you to be annoying."

Callen bristled and Law found his amusement growing. It seemed that Callen disliked being talked to like that. Callen snarled at Ariun, "You can't talk to me like that you fucking bitch! I am a member of this cre-"

"As of the attack on me, you aren't," Ariun corrected him boredly, "Did you forget that you attacked me or something?"

"No! I don't see you as a fellow member of this cre-" Ariun cut him off with a snort.

"A crew that you're planning on betraying?" Callen froze and Law chuckled, "Oh Law and everyone knows about that little detail. I'm surprised you don't remember blurting it out to Law when he tortured you,"

Law spoke before Callen could, "It seems the amount of pain he was in at the time dulled his memory."

"The weak willed often have that problem," Ariun mock sighed before looking up at him and he found himself growing hard at the look in them, "Law mind opening the door? I dislike wasting my time with deadmen,"

Chuckling, Law took out his key ring and unlocked the door, "Of course."

As Ariun prowled into the cell, Law found himself wondering about how she managed to walk soundlessly on the metal floor. It was as if she was a ghost rather than a person. Law could only guess why she could move so soundlessly, but pushed those thoughts away as he watched Ariun reach Callen. Callen's eyes were wide with fear as Ariun stood on her back paws with her front ones on the man's chest. The darkened heterochromic eyes glowed with beastial bloodlust as she stared into Callen's pupiless orange. A low rumble left her as she spoke softly, "Callen this is where you die. As a traitor to the Hearts Pirates, a crew that saw you as their brother and friend. They were your nakama, yet you betrayed them to that pink bastard and for what? Fame? Wealth? A place beside him?" Ariun's eyes narrowed at Callen, "You are a worthless piece of shit that could have been something if only you had not been a traitor and actually cared about the crew."

"W-what would you know of nakama?" Callen gasped and Law could see small beads of blood seeping through the tattered shirt the green haired man wore revealing that Ariun was using her claws, "You're just a little bitch that joined us not even four months ago,"

"I know of nakama because the crew are my family and friends now," Ariun's claws dragged downward eliciting a scream of pain from Callen, "I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world and they'll realize it soon enough," Ariun retracted her claws and moved her head to Callen's neck, "Any last words?"

"All of you can burn!" Callen shouted, "My master will-"

His words were cut off by a gurgle as Ariun's fangs dug into his neck, she reared her head back and ripped his throat out. Blood sprayed out as Ariun dropped down to the ground and spit out the flesh in her mouth. Blood dampened her fur as she turned towards him. Blood dripped down from her fangs, but he focused on her eyes. Emerald and amethyst stared out at him from a blood soaked face. He was somewhat surprised to see the uncertainty in her eyes, but ignored it as he held out a hand towards her, "Ariun-ya come with me so that we can get you cleaned up."

* * *

"Who's going to clean up that mess?" I asked as Law led the way into my room since it was closer.

"Shachi-ya and Penguin-ya still need to be punished for their actions yesterday," My ears flicked back as I let out a low growl at the reminder.

Shachi and Penguin thought it would be funny to lock me in a storage closet with Kaze. It turned out that Kaze was deathly afraid of leopards due to being attacked by one on his home island. By the time they finally let us out, Kaze was a mess and I was really fucking pissed off at the two. My jaw clenched lightly and I hissed, "Please tell me that this isn't their only punishment."

"It's the beginning of their punishment," Law replied with a dark smirk.

"Good," We reached my room without being spotted by anyone and Law opened the door.

I walked over to the bathroom door and used my tail to open it before walking inside. Law followed after and asked, "Will you be transforming back to clean up?"

I contemplated doing that before nodding, "It will make it easier though bloods a bitch to get out of my hair."

"Good thing I'm here to help you," Law smirked at me as he started the water for the shower.

"Who said you have to help me?" I asked while mentally screaming that this wasn't part of my plan.

"I want to help you," Law replied and I knew that he wouldn't be leaving.

Muttering under my breath, I moved past him and got into the shower.

* * *

Law watched Ariun brush her teeth and grimace as if tasting something nasty. He quirked a brow at her as he pulled his hoodie back on and she spat out what was in her mouth before answering his unasked question, "Cinnamon toothpaste plus blood and flesh is a nasty combination."

She rinsed her mouth out before brushing her teeth again. She did this three times before tossing her tooth brush and taking out a new one. She cleaned her teeth one last time before finally stopping prompting him to ask, "Four times?"

"It's best to be thorough and I doubt you have a dentist on board," She returned to her animal form as she walked out of the bathroom.

"No clothes?" He commented earning a snort from her.

"Why bother with clothes when I'm going to be in my animal form?" She looked at him in slight amusement, "It's not like anyone can actually see anything,"

He chuckles as he conceeded to her before they left her room and he paused at the nearby voice pipe, "Shachi-ya, Penguin-ya please come up to my office."

* * *

After Penguin and Shachi had been told to clean up Ariun's mess much to her enjoyment, Law read over the supply list Buck had provided him and frowned at it. He looked up from it as Ariun asked, "Something wrong?"

"We're almost out of fresh fruit and vegetables," Law explained with a slight grimace, "We'll run out by tomorrow and we're still a day away from the next island,"

Ariun hummed softly which sounded odd coming from a leopard, "So we'll be without those two things or a day?"

"Yes," Law frowned at her.

"Then it's just a day," She did that odd leopard-shrug-thing, "At least it isn't a week,"

"Still," The doctor in him disliked the prospect, "It isn't healthy,"

"Maybe not," Ariun nodded as if the cement her agreement, "But there's nothing you can do,"

Law sighed and leaned back against his chair, "True even if I dislike it, I can't do anything about it."

"Everyone will just have to eat double their normal amount of fruits and vegetables when we reached the next island," Ariun laid her head back onto her paws and closed her eyes.

* * *

Bepo rubbed at his eyes, "Sorry we can't go any faster Captain."

"It's fine Bepo," Law glanced at the time, "You need to get some sleep,"

Bepo yawned softly, "Are you going to bed soon Captain?"

"Fairly soon," Law ran a hand through his hair, "Just go to bed,"

"Aye Captain," Bepo stood up from the chair and left the room, "Night Captain,"

Law watched the door close before sighing deeply as he glanced at the couch in his office. Ariun had left at 11 saying that she wanted to stargaze for a little before going to bed. With that in mind and the fact that it was closing in on two in the morning, Law chose to end his day. He stood up from his desk and picked up Kikoku before leaving his office after shutting off the lights. Deciding to check the top deck first, he turned towards the stairs.

* * *

When Law walked into his room after not finding Ariun sleeping on the top deck, he was surprised to find her laying in his bed already asleep. The fact that she was already asleep and in his bed weren't surprising at all. No the surprise came from the fact that she was in her human form and naked. The tiredness he felt faded away due to both his shock and the fact he was getting a good view of Ariun's chest. Law wondered why she was in her human form as he set Kikoku down and took off his boots. As he moved towards Ariun, his pent up lust and need rammed into him the longer he looked over her form. When he reached his bed, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Ariun's.

 **End**


	66. Chapter 66

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

Start

 **WARNING: IF YOU DO NOT LIKE LEMONS, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER! iT'S PURE SMUT!**

* * *

My eyes blinked open upon feeling a familiar pair of lips on my own and Law's scent curling around me. What the hell? How is he kissing me when I'm in my leopard form? Law pulled away after a few moments and smirked down at me, "Ariun-ya mind explaining why you're naked?"

Naked? I looked down at my body and my eyes widened. I thought I outgrew this! Swallowing nervously, I looked back at Law and smiled sheepishly at him, "I must have transformed into my human form after I fell asleep. I'm pretty damn sure I was a leopard when I went to bed."

I laughed nervously gaining a husky chuckle from Law. My mouth went dry as Law looked me over and his eyes darkened, "Well that's convenient."

I sat up a little at that, "Convenient?"

Dark amusement ran through his eyes as one of his hands settled on the swell of my hips. He nodded as he drew closer to me, "Yes convenient. I think it's time we end this game of ours."

"End the game?" I asked while shuddering slightly at the feeling of Law's other hand settling on my neck.

He leaned forward and his breath ghosted across my lips, "Yes. While I enjoy playing, I think it's time for it to end."

I wanted to protest, but Law sealed our lips together. He nipped at my bottom lip and forced his tongue into my mouth. I moaned softly as my hands found their way into Law's hair. I felt his hand leave my hip and neck, but ignored it as I became lost in the kiss. When Law pulled back, I found him straddling my waist and staring down at me. One of Law's hands were holding mine above my head while the other was planted beside my head, "You aren't going to take no for an answer are you?"

"No," He chuckled sending heat straight towards my core, "I'm going to make you scream my name and fuck you until you fall unconscious,"

"Who says you have the stamina to keep up with me," I challenge as he moved back down.

"Oh trust me, I have more than enough stamina," He leaned down to pressed a kiss to my cheek.

I snorted softly, "You aren't the first to say that and none of them were able to keep up with me."

Law chuckled as he kissed his way down my neck to my sweet spot, "I'm not a regular man Ariun-ya. You don't have to worry about me not being able to keep up."

A gasp left me and I arched against Law as he bit my sweet spot. Pleasure mixed with pain ran down my neck as I heard Law groan. I swallowed slightly as I tried to clear the small haze that settled over my mind, "Perhaps not, but I won't let you win the game."

* * *

"Oh?" He looked at Ariun in amusement, "How are you going to do that?"

Law was caught off guard when Ariun somehow managed to twist herself out of his hold and flip them over. He stared up at Ariun in surprise as she was now straddling him and her hands were on his chest. He settled his hands on her hips as his attention became somewhat occupied by her breasts. Ariun speaking took his attention after a few moments, "I believe that it will be fairly easy."

"Oh?" One of his fingers started running over her soft skin.

He bit back a small groan as Ariun ground against his clothed erection. Ariun leaned down and pressed her breasts against his chest making him wish that he had taken his shirt off. He was slightly surprised to feel something soft and furry slid into his pants as Ariun smirked at him, "I have the benefit of more appendages than you do."

Law's eyes widened slightly at the fact she was using her tail. Ariun's tail curled around him and squeezed lightly making him groan, "Fuck."

She used her tail to stroke him as her finger settled on the edge of his hoodie, "Let's get your shirt off. I don't think it's fair that you're fully dressed."

Before she could get his hoodie off, he flipped their positions and groaned as her tail slid out of his pants. As he sat between her legs, he took off his hoodie and tossed it as she stared up at him in surprise, "You're right," He smirked at her, "It's not fair that I'm fully dressed."

* * *

My eyes were stuck on his chest and the tattoos there. He forced me to look at him as one of his hands cupped my chin and he leaned down to kiss me. As we kissed, I felt a warm hand cup one of my breasts and squeeze it. A moan left me as I felt his fingers play with the sensitive nipple earning a chuckle from Law. When the need for air became too much, we parted only for Law to kiss his way down my jaw and neck to my collarbone. He smirked at me as I panted lightly before he took one of my nipples into his mouth. I arched against him with a gasp as he lightly bit the sensitive bud and his hand played with my other breast. My head met the pillow as my eyes closed only for them to snap open as I felt Law's other hand cup my center. One of his fingers slid in earning a gasp from me, "F-fuck."

* * *

Law chuckled as he released the pert bud in his mouth, "Something wrong Ariun-ya?"

Part of him wanted to skip foreplay all together as his finger slid into her warmth and felt her walls tighten around it. The rest of him was enjoying this too much as he watched Ariun's eyes darken and gain a slight yellow sheen. As he pressed his thumb lightly against Ariun's clit, she gasped out, "N-no."

"Oh?" He leaned down to take her other nipple into his mouth.

She let out a moan as he sucked on it lightly. He was in heaven as he enjoyed his favorite part of her body. The pillow softness against his hand and cheeks as well as the taste made him even harder. He let out a small groan as he felt her tail slip into his pants again and curl around his cock in a vice grip. Ariun gasped as he put more pressure on her clit and her walls clenched tighter around his finger. Without much thought, he started moving his finger and slipped a second one inside of her. Ariun's tail twitched around him as she panted out, "I still don't think it's fair that you still have clothes on."

He released the nipple he had in his mouth to look down at Ariun. She had her eyes closed though they opened when his fingers slid out of her, "I suppose it is unfair."

* * *

I was slightly surprised when Law started getting up and my tail released it's grip on him. As I tried to regain some modicum of rational thought, Law undid his pants and let them drop along with his boxers. A part of me wanted to continue to fight against him, but most of me just wanted to feel him inside of me. I was debating what to do when Law returned. I was slightly surprised when he didn't immediatly straddle my hips, "Law?"

He chuckled as his fingers ran over my thighs and forced them to part before moving in between them. Before I could question the action, a gasp left me as pleasure shot through me. Law's pressed a kiss to my sensitive clit as his fingers teased my entrance.

* * *

Law watched as her head fell back to the pillow as his tongue ran across her clit. He decided that he rather liked the sight and the taste of her. He slipped a tongue inside her as he lightly sucked on her clit earning a soft moan from her. He was slightly disappointed by her quietness though he had suspected as much. As he started an easy pace with his fingers, he commented, "You're a quiet lover aren't you."

Ariun's eyes slid open and she looked at him with a smirk, but didn't say anything. He wanted to hear her voice, yet she denied him that pleasure. With slightly narrowed eyes, he bit down lightly on her earning a loud gasp from her, "S-shit!"

He was chuckling when he felt her tail around him once again and groaned as it tightened like a vice around him. As he felt her walls tighten around his fingers, her tail started moving up and down his length. He could tell she was close to cumming and was most likely trying to use her tail to make him cum as well. He mentally chuckled at the thought as he quicked his pace and soon enough she was cumming around his fingers. He felt her tail loosen and reached down to move it as he waited for Ariun to come down from her high.

* * *

Law settled over me as my eyes opened again. He pulled me into a kiss and my hands found their way to his hair. He groaned against my lips and I felt him pressed himself against my center. He pulled away as he positioned himself against my entrance, "I want you to scream my name as I make you cum again."

Before I could comment, he slammed inside of me all the way up to the hilt. Pain mixed with pleasure slammed through me as I gasped out, "You're bigger than the other guys I've slept with before."

Law groaned as he buried his face in my neck and I absorbed the feeling of fullness he gave me. While I enjoyed women, my preference was men because only they could provide this feeling for me. As Law pulled back, I hissed softly only to moan as he slammed back inside of me. Law hissed out, "So fucking tight."

I arched against him as pleasure sang through my veins and my legs curled around his waist.

* * *

As Law fucked her, he began nipping and sucking on her neck. He was making sure to leave multiple marks. She was his and she would know it before the nights out. If she doesn't realize it tonight, he was going to fuck her tomorrow. If she didn't get it then, he was going to continue fucking her until she understood. As Law moved his head upwards to kiss her, he felt her fingers against his back and groaned as her nails dug into his skin. It seemed she was going to leave her own marks as well. Law mentally chuckled as he felt her come apart around him with a growl of, "Law!"

He slowed down his thrusts as he decided to take it slow this round.

* * *

When I came down my high, I thought Law would return to the same fast pace from before only to be proven wrong as he kept his slow pace. He at me as I tried to make him move faster, "Ariun-ya I've won our little game."

"Don't care," I panted softly as I thrust up my hips to meet his, "Please speed the fuck up!"

He chuckled and thrust in a little faster, but not much. I growled at him and used my legs to flip our position. I moaned at the new angle, but quickly set the fast pace I wanted. Law's hands settled on my hip and he thrust upwards to meet me.

* * *

Law reached his peak as Ariun was tightening around him for the second time. When he was spent, he slid out of her and held her against his chest as both of them panted softly. Law cupped Ariun's cheek prompting her to look at him, "Ariun-ya you are to sleep in my room from now on."

She looked at him in surprise, "Why?"

Law chuckled at the question, "Because I expect my lover to share my room with me."

"L-lover?" She stared at him with wide eyes.

"Yes. You're my lover," He chuckled as his fingers ran over her cheek, "I'm not about to let you go,"

 **End**


	67. Chapter 67

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **This is the last chapter of Spotted Tales.**

 **For certain idiots that go under the guises of 'Guest' or some other form of it,**

 **if you do not like the story that you're reading then just stop reading it. The fact that you continue to read it and review just to complain shows that you are a childish troll. I will admit that I've made mistakes with this story, but so have authors that came before me. So do all of us Fanfiction writers a favor and get the fuck off this website!**

 **For my faithful followers and Reviewers,**

 **Please read the next chapter that will be put up within thirty minutes or less of this one. Thank you.**

* * *

Start

* * *

Law smirked up at the ceiling as he heard Ariun gasp and chuckled as she walked out of the bathroom. He turned his head towards her as he commented, "Found the marks did you?"

"Why the hell did you leave so many?!" The zoan user demanded.

"Because I want it everyone to know that you are mine," He replied with a chuckle earning a blush from her, "Does that bother you?"

"No," He sat up as she ran a hand through her hair, "I didn't think you were serious about me being your lover,"

Law chuckled as he stood up earning a blush from her, "You are and I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon," He walked over to her, "Now let's shower, I doubt you're very comfortable walking around with dried cum between your legs."

* * *

The crew stared at Ariun in surprise upon seeing the marks on her neck before chuckles broke out as Shachi shouted, "FINALLY!"

Ariun looked slightly surprised at the shout, "What? You guys knew this would happen?"

"Yup," Penguin nodded his head, "You two spend a lot of time together and Captain's nicer now,"

Law ignored the talk as he walked over to get himself breakfast with a smirk on his face.

* * *

Maki and Kuro grabbed me after I finished breakfast. They pulled me all the way down to their room before Maki demanded, "Well? What happened?!"

"Law and I are apparently lovers now," I answered while playing with one of the loose threads of my jacket.

"So you two are together?" Kuro clarified and got a nod from me, "Well good,"

"Good?" I asked looking at him in surprise.

"We won't have to kill him for hurting you," Kuro shrugged his shoulders while I gap at him.

I looked at Maki and saw him nodding along, "You two were planning on killing him?!"

"If he hurt you," Maki waved a hand at me, "Now," He grinned at me, "Details!"

* * *

Law looked up as Ariun entered his room with an irritated expression on his face, "A problem?"

"I'm surrounded by perverts," She deadpanned.

Law looked at her curiously, "And why are you saying that now?"

"Maki and Kuro wanted details of what happened last night," Law chuckled earning a glare from Ariun, "It's not funny! Those two are gossip hounds!"

* * *

Law laid back with Ariun curled up against him and contemplated what would happen now. He and Ariun were in a relationship. Both of them were wanted by the world government, the pink bastard wanted Ariun dead, he would want Law dead as soon as Law's plans were revealed, and neither of them were ready to face the enemies they wanted to kill. They would need to start training in earnest as they had about another two-three years before his plans were due to kick off. Law looked at Ariun as she shifted slightly and blinked at him sleepily, "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Soon," He smirked at her as she yawned and pressed a kiss to his chin.

"You're thinking about something," Ariun guessed earning a nod from him, "What are you thinking about?"

"My plans and our future," He replied earning a raised eyebrow from Ariun.

Ariun raised herself up and settled her chin on his chest, "Our future?"

Law nodded as he set a hand on Ariun's head and ran his fingers across one of her leopard ears, "We aren't near enough ready to face the New World nor are we ready to face Joker-ya or Liken-ya. We need to start training as soon as possible."

"We'll need allies," Ariun pointed out with a slight frown, "Just us and the boys won't be enough, we need more people to face off against them,"

Law considered it before nodding, "In time, I don't plan on beginning my plans for another two-three years both to make sure we're strong enough and to get into the best position possible to even think of challenging them."

Ariun was quiet for a few moments before murmuring, "Maybe we can get Shanks to help us when the time comes."

"Do you truly believe that Redhair would be willing to do it?" Law asked earning a frown from Ariun.

"I do not know," Ariun admitted after a few minutes, "It's been years since I last saw him. It'll probably take a lot of convincing too,"

"We'll deal with it when the time comes," Law decided as he tugged Ariun up towards him, "Allies and planning can wait for now,"

Before she had a chance to protest, he sealed their lips together with a kiss.

* * *

As we approached the next island, my eyes caught sight of the snow falling to the ground and a smile tugged itself onto my lips as an odd thought reared its head. A winter island was where my journey as a pirate began, so it was only fitting that my relationship with Law would start on another snowy island. I might not know where all I'm going in this life, but I do know that I wouldn't give up the life I now lead. I am a member of the Hearts Pirates. I am a proud pirate. I am a zoan user. I am Trafalgar Law's lover. I might not be ready to face _Him_ , but I will be in time and I had the best possible people to help make me stronger.

 **End**


	68. Chapter 68

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

 **To my Faithful Readers, Followers, Favoritors, and Reviewers,**

 **I thank you for sticking with this story of mine. I know that I'm not the best writer, but this was really just a test for myself. It started out as a dare from my best friend. I was supposed to write a 2000 word chapter a day for one story. It was supposed to last a month, yet it last two months and a week. I am proud to say that I accomplished what I set out to do.**

 **Thanks to everyone.**


	69. AN

**Poll on my profile**


End file.
